Lily Frances is an aspiring gymnast. At just barely 8-years-old, her boundless energy is only matched a personality that seems to bubble over.
Forget walking. Her favorite mode of transportation inside the family home is “cartwheels from the living room to the bedroom,” her father says. “She would rather flip than walk.”
“My favorites are back hand springs and back walkovers,” she adds.
That’s why when she complained of back pain, it was cause for great concern in the family. To find the root cause, doctors recommended an MRI. And the family immediately turned to a trusted name for the test, Coosa Valley MRI.
An MRI can be an intimidating procedure, especially for a child. But at Coosa Valley MRI, a caring and compassionate staff and their approach to it make all the difference.
With adjectives like “neat” and “fun,” Lily Frances explains her experience, noting the advice she would give to friends about to undergo the same test. “You’re going to love it,” she says. “It’s 30 minutes. It’s pretty fun, actually. I almost took a nap.”
Coosa Valley MRI staff is experienced in pediatric MRI services, immediately putting children at ease. “I like how they let me pick out my own music,” Lily Frances says. A wide selection of music on CD and Pandora are available along with earphones to help patients pass the time during the test. She picked out Cinderella, which was a music and story combination. “It was more story than song. I never heard it that way,” she says.
And while a bed sliding into a large tube for the actual test might be a scary thought for a youngster, Lily Frances describes it as “neat.” The staff put her at ease from the very beginning, explaining every step of the procedure. At various intervals, the technologist announces through a speaker system how much longer she has until the exam is completed. “It was pretty fun. They talk to you,” she says.
When the test concluded, Lily Frances was able to pick out a toy just for her from Coosa Valley MRI’s golden treasure chest. She chose a toy harmonica. “I still play with it all the time.”
The pain is now gone, and she is back doing what she loves — gymnastics, playing the violin and reading.
Would she get an MRI again if the need arose? She flashes her signature smile and says, “I’d be fine. I’d be happy.”
