More than a decade ago, Dr. Meghan Marsac was completing her fellowship training at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia when a series of interactions sparked an idea.
She was working in pediatric oncology, where she helped children diagnosed with cancer and their families.
"I was really noticing that a lot of families needed help with some of the same things, like worries about needle sticks, having trouble with medication or having general emotional reactions to cancer experiences," she said. "At the same time, I had I talked with my aunt, an artist. She was out in Utah creating soft sculptures, which is how the critter came to be."
The critter is Cellie. With the help of her aunt Anne Vinsel, Marsac developed the stuffed toy to use with the patients she worked with directly in therapy. She saw how families responded to it and devoted more time to researching the science behind coping mechanisms for children facing difficult medical procedures and diagnoses.
Now, a licensed pediatric psychologist at Kentucky Children's Hospital and UK Healthcare, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky and mother of two, Marsac aims to expand its impact to more families by turning the researched-backed therapy tool into a business venture, Cellie Coping Co.
With support from the UK Office of Technology Commercialization and the Launch Blue UAccel program, Marsac launched the company in July 2020. She said she was confident in the product and the evidence behind it, but UK's entrepreneurship programs helped get her up to speed on the business side of things.
Today, Cellie Coping Co. offers kits for children with food allergy, injury, cancer, sickle cell disease, eosinophilic esophagitis or siblings of kids with medical conditions. The Cellie Coping Kit includes Cellie, a booklet for the caregivers, and flash cards for kids.
While its products are available online to consumers, the company is currently working on two other go-to-market strategies. Marsac said she is approaching health care institutions to see if they can integrate the product into standard care, as it has been designed to not make additional work for the providers.
"Certainly in the context of Covid-19, one of the things that's also been highlighted for medical institutions across the country is how under resourced we are for mental health resources," she said. "So we are offering them a partial solution to help medical and health care institutions support their kids and family with a tool.
"Another primary strategy that we're using is reaching out to foundations. We've had some success over time with foundations that support kids with specific conditions purchasing the kits and then providing them freely to the families that they support."
In 2022, Marsac will be looking to add a co-founder at Cellie Coping Co. Read more about what kind of co-founder she's looking for and more in the Q&A below.
What are you looking for in a co-founder?
I'm looking for somebody who's really passionate about the cause because I think this business is really about a passion of helping kids and families who are dealing with medical conditions. So definitely bringing somebody else in that shares that same passion is important because I think that's how we've gotten to where we are now. We want to continue to build on that. And then I'm hoping to find somebody that has some of the entrepreneurial skill set or some of the business skills that will bring to the table more strength in business strategy, strategic planning, marketing and distribution.
Where does the name “Cellie” come from?
The very first Cellie Coping Kit was created for children with cancer, and the first version of the plush toy was designed to look like a cancer cell. We've updated the design of the toy but the name stuck!
Who has been one of your top mentors? Why?
I have many wonderful mentors that have supported me throughout my career. Drs. Nancy Kassam-Adams and Barakat have been especially influential, helping me think creatively about how to pursue my passion of making medical care better for children from a non-traditional path. This has led to an exciting adventure as an academic entrepreneur.
Has the coronavirus pandemic impacted your business strategy? Why or why not?
The pandemic has brought more attention to the mental health needs of children in the U.S. and beyond, which is a need that our company addresses. Our company is very fortunate in that, before the pandemic started, we had already created tools that can be used right in the home with children and their families together. Thus, the pandemic strengthened our strategy to reach out to health care systems to offer a way that they can provide affordable, evidence-based, practical emotional health support to families even with Covid-19-related restrictions.
What is on the flashcards? How do they vary by types of illness, disease or injury?
Each kit has a deck of cards that are tailored to the child's medical condition. Content on the cards includes information about the child's specific medical condition, how to communicate about the medical condition, dealing with procedures and appointments, non-pharmacological approaches to pain management, emotional reactions to the child's medical conditions, and managing school challenges and peers.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced as a first-time founder?
Taking on the founding role of the Cellie Coping Company required me to carefully evaluate priorities in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Is there a story that sticks out to you about a child or family that has benefited from the Cellie Coping Kit?
I always love hearing new stories about how kids use Cellie. A parent reached out to me to share that her daughter had taken Cellie with her to the hospital for a follow-up surgery. She shared that not only did Cellie provide emotional support but also was a comfy pillow during recovery.
Last year, Marsac also co-authored a book, "Afraid of the Doctor: Every Parent's Guide to Managing Medical Trauma." For more information, click here.
