How St. Louis Children’s Uses Starlight Virtual Reality with Long-Term Patients

Staying in the hospital for extended periods of time can make it hard to feel like a kid. The joys of childhood take a backseat to treatments, surgeries, and medications, and kids can feel like they’re missing out on a lot.

St. Louis Children’s Hospital knows every day experiences can normalize hospital stays by making kids’ days more familiar. That’s why they help kids in the hospital continue their education in a fun way with Starlight Virtual Reality!

Starlight Virtual Reality is a state-of-the-art technology program that delivers happiness to seriously ill kids and their families through a variety of 20+ pre-loaded, curated games, apps, and other experiences to help distract kids during difficult medical procedures or to help them relax, laugh, and have fun.

It includes a customized, thoroughly wipeable, and wireless hospital-ready headset with content that allows patients with limited mobility to sit up or lay down and control their experience using a remote or only their head.

St. Louis Children’s can add different virtual experiences, like outer space exploration or an animal visit, based on what each patient is interested in. Plus, patients can get school credit by writing reports on what they learned during the experience!

“Starlight Virtual Reality takes learning to a whole new level,” said Nikki, CCLS, and Gaming Technology Specialist at St. Louis Children’s. “For our long-term patients who are here for several months or our dialysis patients who are here four to five times a week, every week, virtual reality is a great way for them to learn.”