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Computers
Improve Quality of life for Children With Serious Illnesses
The Starfish awards were established in 1998 by
Volunteer! York County, Kennebunk Savings Bank and the York County Coast
Star to recognize people whose volunteering activities have effected good,
positive changes in their communities, whether in the lives of many or
one. While several people were honored at the annual awards ceremony in
April, additional winners have been named every month since, here in the
pages of the Star They, too, receive starfish pins and $500 from the
Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation toward the charity or non‑profit
organization of their choice. |
BY Jennifer Higgins
Staff writer
SANFORD - It's a labor of love, but for Leslie Morissette it's more about
love than about the labor.
The Grahamtastic Connection is a non-profit organization that lends
computers with Internet access to children with serious illnesses.
Morissette started the Grahamtastic Connection after her son, Graham, died
of leukemia, when he was only eight years old. She said she remembered
that when he was diagnosed with the disease seven years ago, she had
attempted 'to look for more information on the Internet which was
available at the hospital, but no one had been there to help her. "One
minute my son had been healthy and playing and then he was sick," she
said. Morissette said that when her son was diagnosed, the community
embraced her and her family, sometimes bringing over meals for them.
While her son was sick, he often e-mailed doctors and nurses that he had
made friends with and talked in chat rooms with children with the disease.
Morissette said she would also e-mail Graham's doctors to discuss
different issues.
Graham died five years ago, and about four months after he died,
Morissette said she started the Grahamtastic Connection as a way to allow
children to communicate. A lot of children with serious illnesses cannot
go to the library to use the Internet as their illness restricts their
movement. But at the same time, the children need the resource to do
homework, e-mail, or even to entertain themselves. "These kids are in
isolation," Morissette said. "It is a need that is not being met." For
parents, Morissette said, the Internet gives them the ability to research
their child's disease further.
And once again the community has embraced the project, Morissette said.
Companies have donated items and Sanford Regional Vocational Center
refurbishes donated computers and sets them up for the Internet.
Renaissance Greeting Cards, where Morissette works as an art director,
gives her free shipping so that she can mail the computers out to
children. "People understand that your heart is truly in it," she said.
She added that the Starfish Award for community service is actually for
the entire community. "There is no way I could have done it without the
community," she said.
Morissette's program works like a lending library. The computers are
signed out and sent or hand delivered to the child for the length of time
that the child will need it, which is usually about two to three months.
While the computers will have programs to connect to the Internet,
Morissette said she will often install office programs so that children
can do their homework, games such as flight simulators or some music,
depending on what the child is interested in. "It's for education and
entertainment," she said. "I have to give the full package and make it as
easy as possible for them." She also arranges to have someone show the
child how to use the Internet and the computer, whether it is a volunteer
or someone at the hospital where they are staying. "I feel so honored to
be around these children," she said.
Morissette said she has not yet had a single computer stolen.
She now has 10 laptops that have been shipped all over the United States,
including to Arizona, Boston, Florida, and New York. However, for those 10
computers, Morissette said she gets calls weekly, unfortunately meaning
that she cannot always provide a computer. "I wish I could say 'yes' to
everyone," she said.
While at first she installed a lot of home systems, Morissette said that
there is more call for laptops now because they are easier to manage in a
hospital setting and are portable. At the moment, Morissette said that the
most difficult donation to find is Internet time. Morissette said that it
seems as though this donation is becoming more scarce because smaller
Internet companies are being bought out by larger companies that decide
not to donate. Morissette said she has begun to purchase Internet time for
the children.
"The joy that I've given them is what keeps me going," Morissette said.
When asked what she has gained from the organization, Morissette said she
has learned that "there is no self-less love. It always comes back to you
in some way."
'Morissette said she hopes that she is "making the burden a little
lighter" for families going through such difficult time. "It's not a cure,
it's not treatment, it's just quality of life," she said.
For more information about the organization, view our
Help Us Help page, or contact Leslie Morissette at 324-4153 ext. 251
or at leslie@rencards.com.
Jennifer Higgins can be reached
atjhiggins@seacoastonline.com.
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