Each year, thousands of children worldwide receive the devastating news that they have cancer. The diagnosis marks the beginning of a tumultuous journey filled with hospital visits, treatments, and a whirlwind of emotions.
For many young patients, cancer is not just a physical battle but an emotional and psychological one as well. Fear, anxiety, and a sense of isolation become constant companions.
Can Virtual Reality (VR) Deliver Support Offering New Coping Skills for Youth?
Participants in the Michigan VR 4 Kids Program tell us that the meditation and mindfulness skills they learn through VR offer a comforting solution that allows them to navigate their cancer journeys with resilience, hope, and empowerment. Specifically, these highly engaging, interactive, and immersive activities enable children to practice focusing on their breath, engage in mindfulness, and visualize themselves in calming environments that transport them away from their current reality.
Meditation has long been valued for evidence-based benefits in alleviating stress, improving emotional health, and fostering a sense of inner peace. For children facing cancer, learning these skills early can serve as a lifeline, helping them find moments of respite amidst the chaos surrounding their diagnosis and beyond.
As beneficial as meditation and mindfulness skills can be for a person who has them, it can take us a lifetime of practice and years of dedication to develop. In reality, most people are more likely to find themselves in the wake of an overwhelming health crisis, lacking coping skills to meet the medical moment they face.
Enter Virtual Reality
We are inspired by a first-of-its-kind Research Study by Novobeing to assess the feasibility of a virtual reality-guided mindfulness intervention program in adult cancer patients with chronic cancer-related pain in collaboration with Dr. Linda E. Carlson, Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Carlson's research in Psychosocial Oncology, Integrative Oncology, and Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery has been published in many high-impact journals and book chapters, including a published patient manual in 2011 with Michael Speca entitled Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery: A step-by-step MBSR approach to help you cope with treatment and reclaim your life.
For children navigating cancer, we’ve seen VR offer a unique platform to engage in meditation concepts in an approachable, fully immersive, and interactive manner. The unique technology creates a simulated environment where pediatric patients can escape their hospital rooms, feel present at a serene beach, or explore a tranquil forest—all while learning valuable meditation and mindfulness skills.
Empowerment Through VR Learning
One of the most heart-warming benefits we have noted from children using VR is their gaining a sense of control and empowerment. Through VR, children can actively participate in their own healing process, learning valuable skills like meditation techniques that they can use during treatments and other challenging life scenarios.
Simple concepts, such as focusing on their breath or mindful practices like tending a garden, with practice, become intuitive practices they can carry with them beyond the virtual experience and strengthen emotional competencies in their daily lives.
Building a Supportive Community through VR
The journey through childhood cancer can be isolating, not only for the patients but also for their families.
Families often experience despair and helplessness when their child is sick. Recipient families tell us that engaging in shared VR meditation experiences can provide them with tools to support their child emotionally while helping them cope with their own anxiety.
Parents and caregivers can learn alongside their children, discovering relaxation techniques that benefit the entire family unit. This collective journey strengthens bonds and nurtures a supportive environment that immersive technology can make possible.
Access to VR Support Programs and Services
For years, wellness and therapeutic immersive experiences have existed to support well-being, yet they remain accessible to few. Meanwhile, patients who could benefit from the technology: wait. What can be done to improve access to VR and these supportive tools?
Since 2023, Bree has participated in a pioneering multi-partner pediatric VR program created to support children with cancer (and other conditions). The Michigan Program was introduced by Beth Savoldelli, current Founder of XR Impact Network, who curates and secures immersive technology and partners for the program in concert with her client's vision and goals.
The VR 4 Kids Program is hosted by Michigan nonprofit Maggie's Wigs4Kids, led by Maggie Varney, Founder and CEO, and generously supported by our in-network nonprofit partners, including 18 Loop, in partnership with The American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO), Invincikids and Child’s Play Charity. XR partners include TRIPP, Inc., Cleanbox Technology, and Virtual Beings.
The VR 4 Kids Program is a multi-partner initiative that aims to enable access to VR for under-resourced youth and understand how VR can best help pediatric patients manage pain and anxiety during medical procedures, recovery, and beyond.
The program provides this Michigan pediatric population and their families with VR headsets, VR applications, training, and access to clinical-grade disinfection technology at no cost. Program participant families offer valuable feedback on the technology, VR experiences, and program, which is shared with our project team and the XRIN community.
Real-World Applications: Bree's Story
In this two-minute 2023 Video, Bree, a Michigan pediatric cancer patient, walks us through how she used MALOKA, a VR app, to support her health journey-- taking us through her favorite mindfulness activities and calming, immersive spaces in the app.
This video represents a first-person, compelling, compassionate-care use of immersive technology. It demonstrates VR's ability to empower pediatric patients throughout their medical journey, where and when they need it most-- including recovering at home.
Now a cancer survivor, Bree, and her mom have generously authorized us to demonstrate this technology and resource so other families can learn and benefit from it. In Bree's words, "to help others".
Future Outlook
As VR technology becomes more accessible, there is great potential for expanding these efforts to support more youth communities through unique programs like these. With ongoing research and advancements, VR meditation and mindfulness activities can provide valuable new tools for improving holistic pediatric cancer care, ensuring every child has the support they need and deserve.
To follow or share the program's news or discover if a program like this is possible for your organization, visit XR Impact Network and our social media accounts or email us at contact@xrimpatnetwork.com
For insights and updates, join us at XR Impact Network.
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This blog was created to share valuable insights captured from XRIN projects, partners, and people served to inspire an understanding of the grassroots impact shaping the growing wellness and therapeutic XR community.