- The Guardian,
- Wednesday December 14, 2005
For teenage cancer survivor Samantha "Sam" Rose, school is a computer memory stick, allowing her to take her homework assignments and course work back and forth so she can study at home while recovering from her illness and the after-effects of chemotherapy.
The memory stick is a small part of a package of assistance - a laptop with CD and DVD player, plus latest software and fast technical support - on loan from the Guardian Charity Award winner Mattdotcom to Rose and other seriously ill young people unable to go to school.
Rose, 17, who lives near Sleaford in Lincolnshire, lost a school year during her treatment but now uses the Mattdotcom laptop every day to prepare for her GCSE exams, check the internet, play music and videos, and keep in touch with friends.
She says: "The Mattdotcom people are really nice. They brought everything to me and helped me get going. They keep the software updated and if I have a problem, they sort it out."
For her parents, the computer represents more than technical assistance. "It's invaluable because it gives Sam independence to get on with her work in her own time, and freedom to have a social life and keep in touch with her friends," says her father, David Rose. "We also appreciate that the support comes from people who understand what it's like to be seriously ill or to have a teenager in that position in your family. It's just a pity they can't help all teenagers who have the same problems."
The Mattdotcom idea came from Matthew Harding-Price, who died last year at 19 after his cancer did not respond to treatment. Backed by friends and health and education professionals, his parents, Sharon and David, who work in NHS, started Mattdotcom in 2001.
The laptops are intended to be much more than educational. Keeping up with fashion, music and sport is vital for teenagers, as is maintaining friendships, while the computer's music and DVDs can be useful distractions during what can be painful or tedious illnesses, treatment and recovery.
Concentrating on a 50-mile radius round Lincoln, the charity loaned computers to 20 teenagers last year but is keen to do more. The Guardian Charity Award's cash, computer and the raised profile the award brings could be a big help, as well as recognising all those who have been part of "the long, hard slog", says David Harding-Price.
The funding will go towards equipment and give financial security for a few months, while the new computer will replace one "that has seen better days", allowing faster internet access, smarter promotional materials, and better use of the charity's website.
Major investment is needed to expand. David Harding-Price says: "As the only charity in the UK providing the service we do, it would be a great feeling to be able to say to a nurse or social worker in Sussex, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Belfast, Bangor or Wick: 'Yes, we can deliver a system to your teenager within the next month.'"
