Grant from The Children’s Dream Foundation Brings Respiratory Relief to Children

June 2023

Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center has received a grant from The Children’s Dream Foundation for the acquisition of a Volara System (Acute Care) – a therapeutic device that helps clear the lungs of individuals with impaired breathing. A grant of $6,500 from the Foundation has been used to acquire one of 10 Volara units, which are used in the treatment of more than 40 of the 169 residents at the children’s center. The state-of-the-art Volara devices help the residents breathe with greater ease and minimize the need for hospitalizations due to respiratory distress.

“Most of our residents are non-ambulatory,” explained Yelena Yadgarova, Director of Respiratory Care Services at Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center. “When a child is unable to get up and move around – especially if they are on a ventilator, as many of our children are – fluid can build up in the lungs, causing discomfort and a risk for more serious complications. The Volara System opens up the lungs and mobilizes the secretions, making it much easier to remove them.”

In routine, day-to-day use, Volara helps the residents of the children’s center breathe comfortably and get the oxygen they need. In acute situations, such as when infections occur, the device increases clinicians’ abilities to treat the condition on-site without the need for hospitalization. Volara units are lightweight and portable, with settings that are highly customizable to the needs of a particular resident or a particular care situation. Children can be treated in their rooms, in their classrooms or wherever it’s most convenient and comfortable.

“We are deeply grateful for the generous support of The Children’s Dream Foundation, a longtime partner, which has enabled us to deliver the benefits of the Volara System to our children,” Yadgarova said. “Without it, our clinicians would lose a powerful tool to help residents keep their lungs clear and their breathing healthy, and our children would be at greater risk of serious infections, including pneumonia. Volara helps keep our children safe here in their home.”