PC Pals

PC Pal Links Pediatric Patients to Cyberspace

Hospitalization is an extremely isolating experience for seriously ill children and teens. It's hard for them to keep in touch with family and friends, and to keep up with schoolwork. PC Pals, one of Starlight Starbright's signature programs, provides a high-tech solution to the loneliness and fear that often accompany a hospital stay. PC Pals provide pediatric patients with a variety of entertaining and educational software and access to Starbright World® an online community for seriously ill teens.

The accessible programs provide medical information in a fun, engaging manner and teach children how to better manage and cope with their medical conditions. Internet, email and instant messaging enable children to stay connected with the outside world during a time when they often feel very lonely. Having access to the communication, education and entertainment opportunities offered by an Internet-enabled computer helps raise children's spirits, distract them from their pain, and provide them with a sense of community.

Hospital Approved

By hospital request, PC Pals are preconfigured for immediate use and include flexible design features to accommodate the needs of all hospital partners.  PC Pals support dial-up, wired, and wireless Internet connections.  They also accommodate important hospital concerns, such as portability, security, and infection control. Training and tech support are provided to minimize downtime if a problem occurs.

The Need

Although hospitals report there would be great potential benefit to having computers available for patients, 50% of the over 1,000 hospitals we work with report they have none available for patient use. Additionally, 90% of those hospitals that do have patient computers have no technical support, so when computers break there is no means by which to repair them.

Sponsorship Information

Starlight Starbright seeks individual, group or corporate sponsorships to respond to the critical needs of pediatric patients by placing PC Pals in local hospitals.  Each PC Pal will positively impact hundreds of children over a year's time. 

The $5,000 sponsorship cost includes:

• Business-class technology: PC Pals are built using the most rugged business-class laptops available.
  
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  Extended warranty: Every unit comes with three-year, accident protection warranty that covers dropping and spilling as well as typical hardware failures.
  
• Software for all ages and interests: PC Pals come pre-loaded with more than 50 software programs appropriate for children of all ages.  Programs include Starlight Starbright’s interactive educational games and third-party games and learning software.
  
• Stringent infection control measures.
  
• State of the art security features: A security cable connects the laptop to its case at all times, and a second cable can be used to connect the case to the hospital bed.  Additionally, a STOP Plate security bar code uniquely registers all computers and a Web-based administration tools allows a PC Pal’s location to be tracked.
  
• World class technical support: Tech support and training are centrally managed by dedicated staff, minimizing downtime if a problem occurs.  A replacement PC Pal is shipped within five days if tech support can’t resolve the problem.

Sponsorship Benefits

• The opportunity to present the PC Pal to hospital staff and patients in a dedication ceremony.
  
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  Publicity generated by the dedication event.
  
• The inclusion of the sponsor's name or company logo on the desktop at all times.
  
• The comfort of knowing the gift will have a lasting impact, as PC Pals are centrally managed program with guaranteed oversight and maintenance for at least three years.
  

To view our current PC Pal waiting list,   click here.

Your donation can help Starlight Starbright bring PC Pals to hospitals in communities all over the United States and Canada!

For more information on sponsoring PC Pals, email us or call us at 310-479-1212.