Eden’s Virtual Reality Story

Eden has been coming to Sheffield Children’s to receive treatment for Polyarticular Juvenile Arthritis since she was 18 months old. When Eden visits us now, she doesn’t just come to the hospital – she also gets to visit space and see what it’s like to swim on the bottom of the ocean floor!

“But Sheffield isn’t near the seaside” we hear you say? You’re not wrong! Thanks to technology, every four weeks Eden is transported away from her hospital bed to exciting locations using Virtual Reality (VR) technology.

Before using the VR headset Eden’s appointments were a little different and sometimes involved a few doctors and nurses working to cannulate Eden so she could receive her treatment. This medication helps reduce the inflammation, pain and stiffness Eden experiences so it’s really important and helps Eden do more of the things she loves.

Eden said, “I like using the VR headset because it feels like I’m really there!”

Helen Lee, Lead Rheumatology Nurse, and Sam Leach, Extended Scope Physiotherapist, said “For the past four months the Rheumatology team have been trialling a specially designed medical DR-VR headset. We have predominately used the headset for procedural anxiety and as a distraction device for the giving of injections, cannulas, blood tests and steroid joint injections. Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis sometimes require steroid joint injections which historically are done with the use of Entonox or gas and air. The headset allows the child to have a quicker procedure with no physical side effects. So far we have had really positive feedback from all our patients and the headset also allows us to collect specific before and after data which will help drive future research. We are just in the process of trying to secure funding to permanently have this available for our patients.”

Deborah, Eden’s mum, said “In all the years that Eden has been coming to Sheffield the staff have always gone above and beyond to support her with all the treatment and appointments and this is another avenue that they are looking at to help children cope with often very scary situations that many adults would even struggle to cope with. The technology is a godsend because we’ve had some really stressful times where it’s taken over an hour to cannulate Eden, even with numbing cream and Entonox to help reduce the stress and pain. From the first time she used the VR headset, they got the cannula in within seconds and Eden looks forward to coming now!”