You are invited to join Alma & Doug Veliky in a unique fundraising effort for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago to whom their family and countless others owe a gigantic debt of gratitude. Since 2019, the couple has fundraised for the conversion of the hospital's 4 MRI, 4 X-Ray, Emergency CT Scan, and Nuclear Medicine rooms using immersive artwork.

During these lifesaving procedures, patients must lie still for extensive periods of time, surrounded by machines that can be cold, sterile, and intimidating. Art murals transform these rooms and the equipment itself into a fun, inviting environment, making it easier for children to feel relaxed and comfortable during their treatment. These pleasant distractions can engage kids and help put them at ease, so they are able to complete necessary diagnostic tests and ensure the technicians receive high quality image.

In late 2021, the Velikys turned their attention to a new endeavor called the "Lurie MRI Try Without Anesthesia Program" where families are paired with a Child Life Specialist for pre-procedural screenings and prep to attempt to complete their MRI without sedation. Scanners are reserved 2x per month for receiving extra prep, space to adjust, and the needed support. By instilling emotional safety in kids including communicating directly with them and providing a strong feeling of control in the situation, they’re usually able to avoid anesthesia.

When successful, the program reduces costs for families, time away from school/work, increased self-efficacy for the kids, and of course reduced medical risk. We’re excited to share that the program rolled out in late 2022 and 81 patients were seen through August 2023 with a 96% success rate. These results prompted the recent expansion from 2 days/month to 3-4, allowing 20 candidates/month or 240 patients/year.

Our Story

In 2015, shortly after Alma and Doug got their first peek at their son Edin (pronounced Ed-Dean) via an ultrasound, they knew something wasn’t right by the technician’s reaction. She spotted a mass on his left lung called a Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM). When he was born, a team of surgeons was on-hand, prepared to respond if he wasn’t breathing. Everything turned out well, except a non-functioning part of his lung (about 30%) needed to be removed before he turned 1 years old. Watching your baby get injected with dye then sent into a CT scanner is really hard. Watching a team of surgeons wheel him away at only seven months of age, for a four hour surgery, is absolutely gut wrenching.

The team at Lurie Children’s are real, live superheroes. They were able to remove the lower left lobe of his lung laparoscopically using cameras, with three incisions the size of fingertips. The surgery was a big success and Edin was home 2-3 days later, rolling around and playing. Because of his young age, his remaining functioning lung filled in the empty space within weeks. He's had to go back a handful of times, most recently for an X-ray. The fear in his eyes in these sterile rooms, similar to the CT Scan room and MRI room, causes him to panic and the technicians had to pull out every trick in the book to get him to sit still enough to get a good image.

What's Next?

Stay tuned to Doug's Instagram account @beeraficionado for updates and ways to help, including silent auctions for experiences and raffle prizes geared toward craft beer enthusiasts. If you'd like to run a fundraising event of your own with the proceeds going toward this cause, please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. On behalf of the Velikys, the team at Lurie Childrens, and the patients and families at the hospital, thank you for your support!