A cancer tragedy inspired one mom to help thousands of sick children
After Leslie Morissette lost her son to leukemia, she turned her pain into action
After Leslie Morissette lost her son to leukemia, she turned her pain into action
Editor맥스카지노s Note: This is part of a special series, "Moms Who Wow Us," where we partnered with , , and the "" show to honor everyday heroes ahead of Mother맥스카지노s Day. You can read about all the moms we맥스카지노re celebrating .
A big challenge facing children who are seriously ill is keeping up with schoolwork. One mom맥스카지노s high-tech solution: having hospitalized kids attend classes via robots (the robot맥스카지노s screen displays a live video feed of the child), allowing them to virtually join in discussions, go on field trips, and generally feel connected.
After Leslie Morissette lost her son, Graham, to leukemia on Christmas Eve in 1997, she honored him by founding , a nonprofit that provides free electronic devices to other sick kids. Since its inception, she맥스카지노s helped over 1,600 kids. 맥스카지노He was really into communication and keeping in touch, always asking the doctors and nurses for their e-mail addresses,맥스카지노 she says.
Though Leslie was an art director for 12 years and ran Grahamtastic on the side, she now focuses on her nonprofit full-time. Offering sick children free technology — whether it맥스카지노s a telepresence robot, iPad, laptop, or internet access — helps first and foremost with education.
맥스카지노When a child is in the hospital, parents want to do anything to allow him or her some normalcy,맥스카지노 she says. 맥스카지노We connect kids to their normal world when it맥스카지노s out of reach.맥스카지노 Some kids who would맥스카지노ve missed an entire school year can now go by robot and actually pass onto the next grade level without stepping foot inside the building. Equally important, though, is the social connection. 맥스카지노It stops the feeling of isolation not just from the classroom, but from friends and family too,맥스카지노 she adds.
To donate iPads and laptops or to learn more, visit .
This story was originally published in the May 2018 issue of Good Housekeeping.