ST. LOUIS (AP) - A therapist at St. Louis Children's Hospital has created a new program painting radiation masks as popular characters to help put young brain tumor patients at ease.
KMOX-AM reported Hannah Heimos specializes in helping young proton-beam therapy patients face their daily treatments, which include wearing a mask pinpointing exactly where the proton radiation hits the tumor.
Her first patient to receive a painted mask was 8-year-old Evan Cornett, who wears his "Star Wars" Stormtrooper costume to every appointment but without the helmet due to the radiation mask.
Heimos painted Evan's mask like a Stormtrooper helmet to help him feel more empowered during treatments. Two staff members dressed as Stormtroopers presented the mask to Evan and escorted him across to treatment.
Heimos has received funding for her new program.