Courtesy St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children received a $75,000 grant from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation to enhance communication for non-verbal children through eye gaze technology.
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children has been awarded a significant $75,000 grant from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation to enhance communication capabilities for non-verbal, medically complex children through advanced eye gaze technology. This funding will support the acquisition of specialized devices designed to track eye movement, enabling children to express their thoughts and needs without verbal communication.
The grant is particularly timely, as the hospital seeks to address the unique challenges faced by children who, despite having cognitive awareness, struggle to communicate due to their medical conditions. Of the total grant, $59,000 will be allocated to procure three comprehensive eye gaze systems, which include state-of-the-art eye gaze devices, eye gaze tablets, and both wheelchair and floor mounts. The remaining $16,000 will go towards purchasing eight additional tablets along with educational software tailored to facilitate learning and communication.
Eye gaze technology is a vital component of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) therapy, which provides children with non-traditional means of expression. This can include gestures, facial expressions, and even pointing to images.
Dr. Edwin Simpser, President and CEO of St. Mary’s, emphasized the transformative potential of this technology.
“St. Mary’s has seen some incredible success stories with patients using our medical eye gaze devices, which is a testament to the dedication of our incredible staff and their ability to use technological advancements to change the lives of medically complex kids,”Simpser said. “We are so grateful to the Amazin’ Mets Foundation for this generous grant for new eye gaze devices, which will bring hope and healing for families who may have never been able to communicate with their child before.”
Courtesy St. Mary’s
The funding will support eye gaze systems and tablets, helping medically complex kids express their needs and improve their quality of life.
Tiffany Damers, the Director of Rehabilitation at St. Mary’s, elaborated on how the partnership with the Amazin’ Mets Foundation came to fruition.
“ This is the first time we had received a grant from this foundation, and so we’re very excited to develop a new partnership with this organization,” Damers said. “And thanks to their support, we should be able to fund a number of these devices. And these devices are a high tech speech generating device that will help medically complex children be able to speak through this device by the use of their eyes.”
The eye gaze devices function through a sophisticated eye-tracking system that closely resembles a tablet. A specialized tracking bar is attached to the device, which monitors the child’s eye movements. A multidisciplinary team of speech therapists, occupational therapists, and special educators calibrates each device to suit individual needs. This technology allows children to produce speech output simply by blinking or focusing on specific icons on the screen.
St. Mary’s has already begun integrating two eye gaze devices on-site and is witnessing promising results.
“The progress that we see is that a child who may was maybe was frustrated because they could not verbally communicate, as you and I do with our voice and their general gesture, these children now have been unlocked, and now they can communicate with their eyes through this device, and now have a voice that can come through the machine,” Damers said. “So they may be able to say no more or once they play and then indicate what they desire.”
Looking ahead, St. Mary’s aims to expand its inventory of eye gaze devices to ensure that each patient has consistent access to their communication tools.
“We’ve seen a great improvement in their quality of life,” Damers said. “We’ve seen a reduction in their frustration at being able to now communicate their desires, and we’ve also been successfully able to discharge them home with the devices if they are part of our short term care program here within our skills.”
In addition to the eye gaze technology, the grant will also fund the purchase of tablets equipped with dedicated applications that facilitate a broader range of communication methods. This will allow for a more flexible approach to communication, catering to children with varying levels of mobility.
As the only center for pediatric long-term and rehabilitative care in New York City, St. Mary’s has been dedicated to serving the city’s children for over 150 years. The organization provides a continuum of care that includes inpatient hospital services, home care, and community programs aimed at improving the lives of children with medically complex conditions.
With the support of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children is poised to continue its mission of providing innovative care and communication solutions for children facing profound challenges. The integration of eye gaze technology marks a significant step forward in ensuring that every child, regardless of their condition, has a voice.
St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children has been a leading provider of long-term and rehabilitative care for critically ill and injured children since the 1870s. It is one of the few organizations in the country dedicated to providing intensive rehabilitation, specialized care, and education to children with special needs and life-limiting conditions. Through its commitment to innovation and compassionate care, St. Mary’s continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children it serves.
