Kensington (www.kensington.com) says that Kensington SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases were selected by East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to protect iPads that were donated for children’s use during hospital stays through “Andy’s iPads” program.
The program is based on donations of iPads and accessories from parents and families at Webb Upper School for the purpose of helping kids stay comfortable and engaged when sick or recovering from illnesses or medical procedures. Andy’s iPads was initiated by Julieanne Foy, technology coordinator of Webb Upper School in Knoxville, Tenn.
“I noticed that during my visit to one of the school’s students, Andy – who was also an oncology patient at Children’s Hospital – found great joy and comfort from using an iPad to Skype with friends and play games using apps during his hospital stay,” said Foy. “So we asked families at Webb School if they would be willing to donate their iPads to Children’s Hospital to help other kids like Andy keep their minds off of their illnesses and pending procedures.”
As a result of Foy’s request, Andy’s friends at the school set out to honor their classmate by donating 50 iPads, 50 cases, multiple iPad apps and games towards the mission of comforting kids at the hospital. The ‘Andy’s iPads’ program will continue to be managed by Webb students, including loading apps and games at no cost. The students are supporting continuation of the program through an annual fundraising event.
The hospital uses Kensington SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases to keep the donated iPads clean and safely locked, with the option to tether the case to a child’s bed. The thick, sturdy handle – which is sized for smaller hands – doubles as a two-position stand for greater flexibility of use.
“We’re thrilled to contribute to this essential program by offering the tough padded protection of SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases, which deliver strong tablet protection that’s designed with children’s iPad usage habits in mind,” said Gwen Hsu, senior director of Global Product Managment, Kensington. “SafeGrip is the perfect solution to protect the donated tablets in the ‘Andy’s iPads’ program against damage due to accidental drops and bumps while guarding the screen from scratches and smudges.”
Cheryl Allmon, director of Volunteer Services and Programs at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, said the program is having an incredible impact on the lives of patients at the facility. “The iPads are being used in many ways that we didn’t anticipate when the program first started,” said Allmon. “We want to keep growing the program by adding more iPads and apps for the patients to use.”
Certified by the state of Tennessee as the only Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center in East Tennessee, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville is a 152-bed, not-for-profit, private, independent pediatric medical center. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and offers more pediatric subspecialties than any other hospital in Knoxville and the greater East Tennessee region.