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
Editor鈥檚 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 Mother鈥檚 Day. You can read about all the moms we鈥檙e celebrating .
A big challenge facing children who are seriously ill is keeping up with schoolwork. One mom鈥檚 high-tech solution: having hospitalized kids attend classes via robots (the robot鈥檚 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, she鈥檚 helped over 1,600 kids. 鈥淗e was really into communication and keeping in touch, always asking the doctors and nurses for their e-mail addresses,鈥� 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 it鈥檚 a telepresence robot, iPad, laptop, or internet access — helps first and foremost with education.
鈥淲hen a child is in the hospital, parents want to do anything to allow him or her some normalcy,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e connect kids to their normal world when it鈥檚 out of reach.鈥� Some kids who would鈥檝e 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. 鈥淚t stops the feeling of isolation not just from the classroom, but from friends and family too,鈥� 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.