INDIANAPOLIS -
School is an important part of every child's life, but when they are hit with a life-threatening illness, their education can be dealt a setback.
But there is support for many patients at Riley Hospital for Children. A classroom serves children who find themselves in the hospital for days, or even weeks, on end, from kindergartners on up to high school students.
"The majority of the patients here in the hospital love having school and they look forward to it. For one, it makes them feel normal, like they're connected with their home school community," said program supervisor Kristin Wikel.
For five-year-old Cameron Wells, attending class is a welcome break from the rigorous treatment he receives at Riley Hospital for Children. He is recovering from multiple organ transplants and must wear a mask to protect his immune system.
"They come in here, they forget they're in a hospital. And they're able to interact with the computers and the different technology we have in here," said teacher Heather Siminski.
Not only are there lessons on the computer, teachers are using webcams for patients to enjoy virtual field trips to the zoo and distance learning sites. For patients not feeling well enough for the classroom, tutors are bedside.
Dakota Borchers, 16, and his family travel to the hospital from Illinois for week-long chemotherapy treatments.
"He's getting the one-on-one teaching, very, very helpful and very, very friendly," said his father, Vaughn.
"They bend over backwards for you here. They're very wonderful people and I mean that from the bottom of my heart," said Dakota's mother, Julie.
The classroom is just a small part of the latest addition at the Riley Hospital complex, the 10-story Riley Simon Family Tower. The classroom opened about a year ago.
Teachers say, despite the unique demands of teaching such a wide range of students facing some daunting medical conditions, the results are rewarding.
"That's why I get up everyday and come here. I enjoy that one-on-one interaction and I enjoy having that feeling that I've actually had an impact on somebody's life," Wikel said.
