When Binks Forest Elementary School student Sarah Clein was asked to do a community service project for her fourth-grade writing class, she immediately knew she wanted to help kids on the oncology floor where her 6-year-old cousin Aaron Pinsky was treated for Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma (a bone cancer). Clein thought about what helped her stay close to her cousin even though it was dangerous for her to be physically close to him during his seven months of treatment — his iPad.
Pinsky’s iPad kept him entertained with movies, music and games, but most importantly it kept him connected to the outside world through FaceTime during the 82 nights he spent in the hospital. Clein and her brothers would take Pinsky on the iPad outside and run and play as if he was right there.
However, the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., where Pinsky was treated, only had one iPad for all of the children to share. So, with the help of her mother, Clein started Aaron’s iPad Lending Library.
Clein started writing letters to companies, making bracelets to sell and even donated her tooth fairy money. Something amazing happened when the community learned about her cause — donations started to come in. Clein made a movie about her cousin’s story and posted it to YouTube.
One iPad quickly became 16 iPads. But why stop there? The Clein family then put together a foundation and web site at www. teamaaron.org. Team Aaron believes that every child on every oncology floor deserves to have an iPad. Currently they are working with Palm Beach Children’s Hospital to set up an iPad lending library.
For more information, or to donate, visit www.teamaaron.org.
ABOVE: Sarah Clein with her cousin, Aaron Pinsky.
