In the
LION’S DEN High-tech classroom helps patients stay connected
And that’s all thanks to the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), the Carolina Hurricanes, and Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine and his Companions in Courage charity. Together they unveiled a state-of-the-art NHL Legacy Classroom at N.C. Children’s Hospital in January 2011. The high-tech classroom—the first of its kind among a dozen NHL “Lion’s Dens” gifted to children’s hospitals throughout North America—was a legacy gift to the children of North Carolina commemorating the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend, the League’s midseason spectacular held for the first time in Raleigh. In addition to a SMART Board and SMART Table from SMART Technologies, the $250,000 interactive space features Cisco Systems’ online conferencing system, WebEx, a technology enabling patients to connect to family, friends, schools and teachers anywhere in the world during a hospital stay. Denver was among the first patients to test drive the classroom, along with Hospital School teacher, Karen Weatherly. “He had a little anxiety about leaving his parents to do schoolwork, but when he saw the room, he liked it and did not hesitate,” recalled Weatherly. “It’s an engaging activity for a kid his age, and we were able to do what he did in class.”
hen 6-year-old, Denver, of Raleigh, N.C., W was hospitalized at N.C. Children’s Hospital in early 2011, falling behind on his schoolwork was one thing his mother, Marnie, didn’t have to worry about. His Hospital School teacher used the hospital’s new SMART Board and a SMART Table to help Denver keep up with his studies. Through a donation to the N.C. Children’s Promise, Tom and Lisa Hazen had preserved this space as a pediatric recreational area during construction of the Children’s Hospital, which opened in 2002.
4
For Denver’s parents, the classroom provided tremendous peace of mind in the midst of a difficult situation. “It was so nice, as parents, to not have to worry about helping him with that on top of everything else we were going through,” said mom, Marnie. “Denver was reluctant at first, but once he saw the SMART Table, he was hooked. He had a really good experience and was so excited to be able to go back and tell his teacher about it.” The unveiling of the NHL Legacy Classroom at N.C. Children’s Hospital on January 28, 2011, was a star-studded affair, featuring NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, and several NHL players, including goalie Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes.