St. Clair College donates MRI gowns for kids

Fashion design students at St. Clair College have donated about a dozen MRI gowns to Windsor Regional Hospital for children to wear.

• Windsor Regional Hospital app aimed at helping patients understand the healthcare system

The students made the gowns by hand with the help of a computer design program.

The two-piece outfits look a little bit like a karate outfit but instead of just white they come in a variety of printed patterns and colours. Some have little kittens on them, others fruit and rabbits.

"Mainly they wanted something light-weight, cotton because it can get warm in there," said Elaine Chatwood, coordinator of the fashion design program.

Second year students submitted designs and one was chosen by the first year students who did the printing and sewing.

Nikki Winter, who has since graduated, designed the patterns that were chosen to be printed.

"I think it's amazing. I think it's a great thing. I think it's great that every year we pick something to do for the community," said Winter, whose three-year-old son JaseJackson helped model the attire for the cameras Tuesday.

The head of diagnostic imaging at WRH says the playful designswill help ease the fears of children who are about to undergo an MRI.

"When they come in they're a little nervous. They're getting a medical exam done. It's just a nice distraction for them so we can kinda talk about the gown and distract them from the actual test that's going to be started," said Colleen Nelson.

The hospital performs about 20 to 30 MRI's on children a year.

The gowns are said to be moredurable, washable and more comfortable to wear because they come with a top and pants.

The sleeves are loose in case a child has an IV in their arm.