Lego donates MRI scanner kits to help ease kids’ fears
Getting a magnetic resonance imaging scan can be scary for anyone. An MRI scanner’s clicks and thumps can be especially upsetting for children.
Lego employee Erik Staehr wanted to help doctors and nurses prepare children for the procedure, and he designed an MRI scanner Lego kit that will be available only to hospitals.
“This would reduce their anxiety and make their experience more playful and less scary,” the toy manufacturer wrote on its website. “The MRI model is now being built by employees across the world to distribute to their local hospitals.”
Fraser Lovatt, who is one of those employees, posted his process on Twitter.
Lovatt also encouraged his followers to follow the Lego Foundation’s LinkedIn page and Twitter accounts for information on how to request the set and other important resources to go with it.
The MRI scanner kit includes two constructions. The first is the scanner with a minifigure and the other is the room where doctors read the scans. Once built, the scanner can be opened to show a young patient what will happen during the procedure.
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About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
