From ABC7, Los Angeles
Published Jan 5, 2015
The Infusionarium at The Children’s Hospital of Orange County, which cost about $100,000, helps young chemotherapy patients pass the time with all sorts of entertainment.
By Greg Lee
ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) — Sixteen-year-old Matthew Kaiyum stays focused when playing one of his favorite video games, not at his house or an arcade, but at a hospital.
“I’m here getting chemo to help with my cancer,” Kaiyum said, who was diagnosed with leukemia last year.
He comes to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, also known as CHOC, once a week for chemotherapy, a trip he used to dread.
“I’d feel like I just wanted to get out of here as quick as possible. Whereas now, I actually want to stay a little bit longer,” Kaiyum said.
The change of heart comes from what’s behind a black curtain at CHOC’s outpatient infusion clinic. It’s called the Infusionarium (infusion plus aquarium), designed by a former Disney imagineer.
Four massive screens allow patients to play video games, watch movies, surf the Internet, even live chat with people at places like SeaWorld — all while they undergo treatment.
“Let’s let them have a little bit of control over their experience, and make it a good one for them,” said Dr. Heather Hawthorne, an oncologist at CHOC.
The Infusionarium, which cost about $100,000, was funded by sponsors. CHOC says it’s well worth it to help make a difficult time easier for patients and their families.
“You can put your feet up, just relax, you know, you forget about the IV pull that’s next to you,” said Fareen Smith, Kaiyum’s sister.
Researchers are looking into what medical benefits, if any, come from the new space. While there’s no hard evidence yet, Hawthorne believes it’s helping.
“They’re just distracted away from some of these symptoms that they might kind of hyperfocus on as something that’s a little bit uncomfortable,” Hawthorne said.
CHOC is looking to expand its Infusionarium program and is actively seeking donors.
