A group of Charlotte-based tech organizations have come together to donate a set of 3D printers to children undergoing treatment for cancer.
The Dottie Rose Foundation, Code Ninjas of Ballantyne and Concord, and the AvidXchange Foundation took two 3D printers to Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital. Anjali Dighe, owner of Code Ninjas Ballantyne and Concord, said the printers will go into the hospital's in-house multimedia broadcast center, Seacrest Studios.
Dighe said she and Dottie Rose founder Sharon Jones have worked together in the past and were brainstorming ways to partner again around the holiday season.
"About two months ago, I was thinking that Covid has put a big damper on things for a lot of people. There's this feeling that we're all isolated at home," Dighe said. "The children at Levine are even more isolated than the general public, so we thought we could bring them a little bit of joy."
The printer donation kicked off Computer Science Education Week for the organizations. It runs Dec. 7-10. Dighe said the children at Levine will be able to use the printers through a series of virtual sessions with AvidXchange and Code Ninjas.
The Zoom sessions will be broadcast to each child's room through Seacrest Studios. They'll be able to see instructors and participants on the other end, but because of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) laws, the stream will be one-sided, Dighe said.
"At the end of the day, these kids are going through chemo, and they often feel horrible," she said. "We figured out how we can continue to help them maybe keep their minds off recovery and have some fun."
During the sessions, instructors will take the kids step-by-step through the process of creating something they can design and print. They'll have access to the printers and virtual sessions any time they're in the hospital.
"Having these printers onsite allows them to create something tangible they can hold in their hands," Dighe said. "It gives them a way to activate their minds ... and show them they can physically do something and see those efforts come to life."
