Charles River Laboratories Donates Mobile Gaming Kart to MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital

By: Caroline Balchunas

If you see young gamers roaming the halls of MUSC’s Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, don’t be surprised. Patients now have a new mobile gaming kart at their fingertips, delivered with love by a family who knows first-hand the healing power of the pediatric medical team. 

Andrew and Rebecca Atkinson first visited the MUSC Children’s Hospital three years ago when Andrew’s wife Rebecca was in a car accident. Rebecca was 31 weeks pregnant with their first child Caden. He would eventually require an emergency delivery, born nine weeks early weighing just 4 pounds, 12 ounces. Caden grew stronger in the NNICU under the specialized care of MUSC’s pediatric team. Now at 3 years old, Caden is a healthy, thriving toddler, proudly holding up three fingers when the nurses asked about his age.  

“It’s hard to explain how grateful we are for the medical professionals at MUSC,” said Andrew. “It feels great to give back. I’ve been looking forward to it since I was presented the opportunity to participate by my employer. It’s very fulfilling, probably one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my life, especially since Caden was born.”  

Andrew’s employer Charles River Laboratories donated the mobile gaming kart built specifically for hospitals. Charles River employs more than 300 people in Charleston County who help produce a vital endotoxin test to ensure all injectable pharmaceuticals and medical implants are safe to be used in patients. That includes every approved COVID-19 vaccine.

“The kids who are in the children’s hospital and the parents and families with them, they are going through a tough time and this can give them a little bit of an escape from what’s going on around them,” Andrew said. “We hope this brings joy to families for years to come.”

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