Children’s Dream Foundation Grant

May 2024

WITH GRANT SUPPORT FROM THE CHILDREN’S DREAM FOUNDATION, ELIZABETH SETON CHILDREN’S CENTER ACQUIRES VOCSN VENTILATOR TO PROVIDE CUTTING-EDGE RESPIRATORY CARE

Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center announced that it has received a grant from The Children’s Dream Foundation (CDF), an organization dedicated to improving the quality and delivery of medical and health related services, especially emergency services, to children in the Hudson Valley.

A grant of $7,500 from the CDF has been used to help acquire a VOCSN Multifunction Ventilator at the children’s center in Yonkers, a specialty, long-term care center for children and young adults with complex medical conditions. The VOCSN Multifunction Ventilator integrates five devices into one: ventilator, oxygen concentrator, cough assist, suction and nebulizer. In addition to being highly efficient and effective, the VOCSN is portable, small and lightweight, and can be used to treat individuals with a range of diagnoses and medical complexities.

“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 VOCSN device is unique because it helps them breathe and in addition provides multiple effective therapies in one unit. These therapies include an unlimited supply of oxygen through a built-in concentrator and cough assist therapy that helps with mobilizing secretions. The device also has capability of a long battery life, enabling residents to go on trips and participate in activities that they otherwise would be unable to.”

In routine, day-to-day use, VOCSN helps the residents of the children’s center breathe comfortably. In acute situations, such as when infections occur, the device increases clinicians’ abilities to treat the condition on-site. VOCSN units 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 VOCSN devices 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. These devices help keep our children safe here in their home.”