My robot pal is top of the class
Isolating cancer lad keeps up at school thanks to gadget
A PUPIL shielding at home during treatment for leukaemia can now join in with his classmates thanks to a portable robot at his school.
Alan Slomka, 13, will use a telepresence device that allows him to keep up with lessons and socialise with friends, after missing out for more than a year.
The £ 2,500 AV1 robot can be transported around the school, meaning he can also join in with break times.
Alan, who has to stay at home because he has a weakened immune system after a bone marrow transplant, said: “It will make such a big difference to me because I miss my friends so much, it is hardest thing about being off school for so long.
“The virus has made things even harder for me because I am not strong enough to go to school. This robot is amazing, it is the closest thing I have to being there.”
Mum Anna, who is Alan’s full-time carer, hailed the robot as a “lifeline” for him. She added: “He is such a good boy, he does not complain, just gets on with it but I know it gets to him.
PROVISION
“His friends are growing up so fast and he is missing out on a lot of it. He has not been in school for over a year and it looks like to be a lot longer now after the operation and this virus is still around.” Alan, of Ipswich, who attends Copleston High School in the town, was first diagnosed in 2017 aged nine. He had treatment but was told the cancer had returned in February.
The robots are being offered by The Raedwald Trust which runs a group of alternative provision schools in Suffolk, including Ipswich Hospital School that is supporting Alan. He was introduced to his robot at the launch of the trust’s Medical Needs in School programme. Four students are currently using them. CEO Angela Ransby said: “Quite simply, the robots have the power to change children’s lives.”
Copleston head teacher Andrew Green added: “This will make a huge difference to Alan’s life not just in terms of his academic performance but also in helping him to stay connected to friends and the school.” Anna said: “We cannot thank the Raedwald Trust enough for investing in our son. It will make a big difference. There are so many children that can benefit from this technology.”
This robot is the closest thing I have to being at school. It’s amazing
ALAN ON THE DEVICE THAT LETS HIM JOIN IN LESSONS