Kids leaving Dr. Reza Madani's office in Bala Cynwyd walk out with something they actually want: a Pokémon card.
Madani, a board-certified pediatrician at Center City Pediatrics, started handing out trading cards to young patients at the practice's Bala Cynwyd location earlier this year.
The idea grew from his own family's collection. Madani and his children, 12-year-old Sami and 9-year-old Ava, had accumulated boxes of duplicate cards, and he realized the extras fit perfectly into the wall-mounted sticker dispenser pouches the office already used.
"My children love Pokémon and have a lot of Pokémon cards, so we decided to organize them into boxes, and then we found the boxes were just sitting around at home, so we thought we could use the extra cards for the patients in my office instead of stickers," Madani said in an interview with Lower Merion Times.
His children spent a weekend sorting surplus cards by set number and Pokémon type, separating out the extra cards for the donation box.
Madani said the Pokémon cards are most popular with children ages 5 to 10, though some teenagers grab them too.
" I started dropping a couple of cards in from the box of extra cards. The kids were taking them after appointments and seemed to really love them. Sometimes even the teenagers who are super quiet will think it's cool and will grab a card too," Madani said.
The initiative runs out of the Bala Cynwyd office at 33 Rock Hill Road, Suite 170, where Madani practices. Dr. Reza Madani
Beyond the fun factor, the cards serve a clinical purpose: Madani said they help patients get through their visit. They're a great distraction when getting vaccines, and also help occupy patients so he can speak privately with their caregivers about more sensitive matters.
Madani recounted the time when he needed to speak to the parent of a child who had been undergoing chemotherapy.
“I needed to speak with the mother about a sensitive matter regarding her son’s treatments, so I asked him if wanted to look at Pokémon. After his mom and I finished speaking, we went to get him and the cards were all over the floor and he was trying to decide which ones to take and he was so happy. The way he lit up when I said 'Pokémon' has really stayed with me."
The initiative runs out of the Bala Cynwyd office at 33 Rock Hill Road, Suite 170, where Madani practices. The practice, founded by Dr. Eric Berger, has three locations and also distributes free books to children up to age 5 through a Reach Out and Read grant, a national program that provides books at well-child visits.
The timing lines up with a surge in Pokémon card interest. The Pokémon Trading Card Game, first published in Japan in October 1996, is marking its 30th anniversary. The official 30th Celebration expansion launched Wednesday, Sept. 16, featuring all-foil booster packs and 30 different Pikachu rare cards.
Madani is leaning into the theme at the office. He acquired a Pikachu stethoscope accessory and even hung a poster above the card bin asking patients to pick their favorite Pokémon.
As flu season approaches, parents can bring their children to Center City Pediatrics to get updated on vaccinations.
"Kids can get their flu shot and leave protected and with a Pokémon card," Madani wrote in an email to Lower Merion Times.
Residents with unused Pokémon cards can donate them by dropping them off at the front desk of Center City Pediatrics in Bala Cynwyd, 33 Rock Hill Road, Suite 170, addressed to Dr. Madani. Inquiries can be sent to [email protected].
