COVID-19 has altered our lives completely. However, its impact is especially devastating on kids with cancer. With already fragile immune systems, pediatric cancer patients often have to remain isolated at home or in the hospital. They miss out on critically needed social interaction with kids their age. Our monthly virtual interactive events focus on connecting volunteers and patients with similar passions to bridge this gap. We hoped to take advantage of our youth-led base to provide the best and most needed services to patients and their families.
Background
About This Program
Our Patient Interaction and Event Directors organize and host these monthly virtual events. Our Events team volunteers are the attendees who get matched with patients.
Each virtual event is crafted to be catered to the patient. Zooms / Google Meets feature discussions, Q&A sessions, and games. Some of the past events we have done include a card-making tutorial for a patient who loves art, STEM quiz games for a patient who is interested in that field, and Spiderman Kahoots for a patient crazy about superheroes.
After each event, google forms are sent out to receive feedback on how future events can be improved. We have explored different games to draw in both the patient and volunteers amidst a virtual setting. One of our favorites includes virtual charades and online Bingo!
Patient Testimonial: "Theo had an absolute blast [after the Zoom]! He seriously loved it! It was so awesome to see his smile! Y’all rocked it! I’ve never seen Theo smile so big after a zoom call!
