Six ‘chat’ with children in hospitals nationwide

CHILDREN in hospitals around the country yesterday had a unique chat with pop group Six using technology which helps make learning more fun.

The Áit Eile project set up by Trinity College gives patients in children’s hospitals and wards the opportunity to continue their education, develop interests and hobbies and communicate over the internet with other children and family members.

Singers Kyle, Sinéad, Liam, Andy, Emma and Sarah took time out of their busy schedule promoting their debut album, This Is It, to call into the school room at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin yesterday morning.

They used the Áit Eile technology to have a live video link chat with kids at the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght, Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Cork University Hospital, the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire and the Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital in Dublin.

Brendan Aherne, a patient at Temple Street, was delighted with the visit by the music celebrities.

“It was brilliant altogether, so it was,” said the 12-year-old from Ballymun.

He has been at the hospital for four weeks and is enjoying the use of the computer equipment, sponsored by IBM.

“It’s great being able to talk to the other kids in hospital and e-mailing them. I haven’t really used computers much before but it’s great fun,” said Brendan.

Some patients spend up to six months at a time in the hospital with long-term illnesses and research suggests children in hospital can feel isolated.

But Ciara Jenkins, one of three teachers at Temple Street, said the Áit Eile project has made school a lot more interesting for the children.

“It helps them realise there are other kids who are sick like them and they can also use the internet to find out more about their illnesses,” she said.

The project has been running since September and will soon be joined by new partners at Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, Letterkenny General Hospital.

A link to classes at Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, a neighbour school of Cork University Hospital, will also be up and running shortly.

Jane Grimson, director of Trinity’s centre for health informatics, said the pilot project was so successful, there were plans to develop a multilingual version for Europe.