Ikare4Kids

A non-profit org to help support families of hospitalized children in the Edmonton area that are in financial need of a donated new or used iPads /Tablets.

Who are we?
We are a non-profit initiative that has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Alberta to help support families of seriously ill children receiving treatment who are financially in need of a donated new or used iPad /tablet. The Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Alberta is a home-away-from-home for families with critically ill or injured children seeking medical treatment in an Edmonton facility.

What do we do?
I have been volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta for a while now. While volunteering, it came to my attention that in this technologically advanced world many children's files and treatment plans are now electronic. Due to the financial crisis that many families of sick children are in, some parents do not have the funds to buy an iPad /tablet to hold this vital information. No-one plans for a child to get deathly ill and end up in the hospital. Many of these parents lost their jobs and even their homes because they chose to be at the side of their sick children. Although an iPad /tablet is often considered a luxury to most people, in these cases it is considered a necessity.

We have also seen the absolute JOY these devices brings to these youngsters who are receiving life-saving treatment. They can be isolated, depressed and bored while in the hospital. Also, please remember these children are not afforded the privilege of a traditional classroom education and often they can utilize these devices for educational purposes.

These devices can help lesson the burden of sick children and their families in the following ways:
-Store medical information & treatment plans,
-Ongoing billing to Family Support for Children with Disabilities,
-PTSD /Trauma research and treatment while in the hospital,
-Practice ongoing motor skills and rehabilitation,
-Have Skype & video capabilities for communication with family members from afar
-Allow children to do online schooling lessons,
-Access music and games to bring comfort and joy to the lives of these sick children as they can become bored and depressed in the hospital,
-Follow up appointments for years to come.
The list is endless. . . . . . . .

Success Stories:
Prior to this initiative, friends on social media graciously donated three gently-used iPads /tablets to the following three families in need (names and other particulars have not been revealed to protect confidentiality):
A two and a half year old boy with Leukemia.
A teenage boy that underwent a double lung transplant due to a fungal infection.
A young toddler girl that was fighting brain cancer.

By Request:
Gently used iPads and /or Tablets (chargers, cases, accessories), or
Financial Donations
(tax receipts are available, please provide your name and return address)

RECYCLE and REUSE your old iPad /tablet. . . . . . the environment will also than you!

If you or someone you know has a gently used iPad and /or tablet collecting dust in the corner of your house somewhere OR you are planning on getting a new one for your children for a birthday of Christmas, we can find a very special home for it!

You can do a factory reset to erase all your personal data or we can do it prior to donating it to a new loving home. All you have to do is send it COD ( Cash On Delivery) to the following address:

iKare4Kids
PO Box 30982 Namao Centre
Edmonton, AB
T5Z 3P3

Thank you for your support,
Deanna Hagen
Executive Director