iPad Donation to NYU Winthrop Hospital

In the hospital children of all ages are scared, confused and missing out on all the “normal” things they should be doing such as playing with friends, going to school, keeping up with all the latest trends, just to name a few. To combat these negative associations with the hospital we have gifted several iPads to NYU Winthrop Hospital to help transform the hospital experience into one that makes a really scary, overwhelming place seem a bit more tolerable, fun and “normal”. On the surface, one may see the iPads as a simple device that allows our patients the ability to play games, watch movies, use apps like Tik Tok or Youtube. What they see in Child Life, is a critical tool to not only distract the patient during invasive procedures or blood draws but a tool that connects patients with their friends and family, even when they aren’t up for visitors. They see a way to connect them to their school and keep them up to date with their school work. Most of all, they see a tool that is familiar and safe and allows them to slip away for a bit into their favorite shows, games, and apps and feel a sense of comfort and fun in an environment that is anything but. “Even beyond this, the iPads have also transformed what we can do as Child Life Specialists. We have been able to bring our prep books to life. We are now able to prepare our patients for any test or procedure using multiple senses, not only photographs of the machines, but what sounds may be associated with the test/procedure, who the players are, and what their role is in all of this.” – Nicole, Director of Child Life Program. As one parent said, ” The Video EEG prep was brought to life for him and he was able to understand what was going to happen on his level. The iPads allowed him to learn what was about to happen to him in a safe and familiar way. I am not sure what we would have done without it!”