2019 was a year of firsts for the Fight On Makenna Foundation. 2019 was the first annual Bite for the Fight Food Festival. This inaugural event went above and beyond the expectations of the FOM board members. With the success of Bite for the Fight 2019, Fight On Makenna was able raise money and give back to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As part of the Foundation’s mission and goals, Fight On Makenna was able to purchase exercise equipment for CHOP.
Recently, we asked CHOP employees how the exercise equipment has been used:
Q: What do you like best about having the exercise equipment in your patients’ room?
(Acute care PT) The cardio equipment truly allows therapists to help patients make progress in one of the areas we see the most impairments in the Oncology population- endurance & deconditioning. It allows us to challenge our patients in a more efficient and fun way while they are admitted, so that they can go home and keep up with their siblings and friends after discharge! It is also great because the patients can use this equipment outside of therapy sessions to really maximize their gains! The benches in assorted sizes have also allowed for such a wider-variety of interventions across all age-groups, particularly with our toddlers and young children. What seems like a simple piece of equipment gives us as therapists the opportunity to do interventions that work on balance, strength, endurance, and age-appropriate mobility skills all in one session and it also makes therapy more fun for our kids!
(BMT Nurse Practitioner) Our patients are limited in where they can go due to protective isolation. Allowing the exercise equipment in the room, gives the patient an opportunity to do more in-depth PT. It also is an encourages them to get out of bed and do exercises without PT as the equipment is readily available to them.
Q: Do you think the exercise equipment helps your patients when they are in the hospital?
(Acute care PT) Absolutely! There are a limited number of ways to work on cardiopulmonary endurance in an inpatient setting. The cardio equipment is very motivating, and I have noticed that my patients are much more likely to use the cardio equipment than do a daily exercise program. The benches and balance board are also so important- it allows us to work on transfers for leg strength, kneeling for balance & mobility practice, sitting on a stable surface for children who are having more difficulty with even “basic” functional tasks; you name it!
(BMT Nurse Practitioner) Yes- it gives them an opportunity to do more variety of PT while in the hospital for weeks. It also helps to prevent them from deconditioning with these long hospitalizations. It provides some motivation to get out of bed and moving which in the long rung can help prevent many otherside effects post-transplant on top of preventing deconditioning. For example, patients get capillary leak post-transplant, getting patients up and moving helps to keep/move fluids back to the “right” space. It helps them get up and take deep breaths which helps prevent pneumonias. It also helps prevent DVTs
Q: How often do you use the equipment? What makes you want to use it?
(Acute care PT) I use a piece of equipment almost daily in my treatment interventions. The equipment that we have is versatile and can be used for all different age-groups and sizes. It’s allowed me to be more creative and effective in providing evidence-based care for the pediatric Oncology population. Utilizing the equipment continues to challenge my patients, and myself as a therapist to come up with innovative ways to get my patients to engage in activity which we know is such an important element of their overall recovery and quality of life!
(BMT Nurse Practitioner) I have seen some patients use the equipment daily when available in the room.
Q: Anything else you want to tell us about the equipment?
(Acute care PT) We are so lucky to have & appreciative of the availability of this equipment. We are one of only two inpatient units to have access to these valuable resources and it makes such a difference in our patients’ plan of care & progress towards meaningful goals. We see the benefits of this equipment for our patients not only physically, but emotionally as well; it has such benefits for their overall well-being and helps us take a more wholistic approach to their Oncology treatment and recovery.
(BMT Nurse Practitioner) I love that we have dedicated Oncology equipment and that there is age-appropriate equipment- this really allows the PT to be able to provide more therapies to younger patients who in the past were too small to use the adult sized bike.
To gain additional information and perspectives, we asked some CHOP patients and families the same questions:
Q: What do you like best about having the exercise equipment in your room?
(Patient A) It gives me the ability to work my cardio and exercise even when I’m stuck in my room.
(Patient B) It provides an excellent opportunity for [my daughter] to stay physically and emotionally in shape during the weeks- long stretches in which she is confined to her room.
Q: Do you think the exercise equipment helps you when you’re in the hospital?
(Patient A) Absolutely! It helps me keep fit and sane. With my treatment I need to stay in my room for weeks at a time so having the bike helps a lot.
(Patient B) Yes! There are few opportunities for aerobic exercise in a hospital room, particularly opportunities that appeal to a 9 year old girl. The treadmill provides the perfect outlet for her.
Q: How often do you use the equipment? What makes you want to use it?
(Patient A) I try to use it daily, though I might miss a few depending on where I am in treatment. I like using it because I find that I feel better both mentally and physically after I exercise for a bit.
(Patient B) Daily- about 30-40 minutes per day. She and I both want her to do it because staying in shape helps with recovery and general health & well-being.
Q: Anything else you want to tell us about the equipment?
(Patient A) It’s pretty dope!
(Patient B) We are so thankful to have access to this equipment. It has made a huge difference in [my daughter’s] inpatient experience.
The Fight On Makenna Foundation is so thankful for the love and support from its community. Without the support of the community, the Foundation would not have been able to donate this equipment to CHOP.
Fight On Makenna Foundation 