Nichols family donates $10,000 for MRI goggles

(October 24, 2019) – Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols and his wife Ali have donated $10,000 to the Children’s Hospital Foundation to help fund the purchase of new Cinema Vision Goggles.

“It’s so important for us as a family to give back to a community that has given us so much,” said Nichols.

“We have two young daughters who are fortunate to have their health, but that’s not the case for many children. A second pair of goggles for the Children’s Hospital will go a long way in reducing recovery time for children and reducing wait lists in Manitoba.”

With the donation, the Children’s Hospital has now raised $60,781 of the $75,000 needed to purchase new goggles. These goggles come complete with headphones that shut out the MRI machine noise, allowing kids to watch the DVD of their choice while in the machine. Without goggles, scans are often lost due to claustrophobia and some kids have to be sedated due to anxiety, meaning longer recovery time after a scan.

“In our community we need leaders to rise and support the needs at the Children’s Hospital and Research Institute, and Matt Nichols is a shining example,” said Stefano Grande, President & CEO, Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

“Our thanks to Matt and his family for helping to make anything possible for the kids. Because of his generosity, we are one step closer to completing the campaign to fund a new set of MRI goggles for kids; a key distraction tool needed to ease the stress and anxiety to handle this medical procedure.”

The Children’s Hospital received their first and only pair of goggles in 2013, benefiting 850 children to date and reducing the need for sedation by 30%.