Join the Crusade

We encourage people across the country to offer free laptops and Internet to sick children. There are not many organizations doing what we do, so please join this crusade. Here are some helpful suggestions if you’re interested in operating a program like ours:

Contact a Social Worker or Child Life Specialist at your nearest Children’s Hospital. If they are interested, ask for a contact name that would be willing to distribute/place the laptop(s). We recommend supporting the Pediatric Oncology Department because children with cancer often experience long hospital visits with compromised immune systems. Often they cannot leave their rooms to use a shared computer that may be somewhere on the floor for patients to use.

Always contact the Hospital’s Technology Department for required laptop specifications. If they do not allow patients to log on through their servers, the laptop should come with a purchased (or donated) dial-up connection local to that hospital (or wireless if Hospital supports.) Note that if the dial in number is an “800” number, this may not work from hospital rooms because many hospitals block toll free numbers from being used.

Next time there is a fundraiser in your community for a very sick child, ask if a laptop with free Internet would be a benefit to them.

Do not donate laptops that are too old to work properly. The laptops should be Pentium Powered to work on today’s Internet. Old or broken laptops will just frustrate patients and be more of a nuisance than a help. Of course, new laptops with DVDs are the best to donate. (Especially if they have a service contract.)

Make sure there is virus protection software installed on the laptop. (I’ve learned this the hard way!)

Offer tech support with the laptop in case there are problems. A simple label on the bottom of the laptop will keep it simple for the medical staff to reach you.

If you are not technically able to fix computers, contact your local High School or Vocational Center to see if students would like to volunteer to work on them. It’s a great way for students to get experience on computer technology, and also teaches the importance of volunteerism and helping sick children.

Do not expect "Thank you’s" from patients. Often times families are so overwhelmed with medical issues that sending a note is impossible. Believe me, they are grateful and will truly appreciate your efforts.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at leslie@grahamtastic.org