Robot goes to school

Article: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/national/boy-undergoing-cancer-treatment-uses-robot-attend-/nZshQ/
Category: Health and Medical
Level: National
A potential solution for individuals who must undergo medical treatment but want to try to maintain their normal lifestyle to some degree.

I just thought this was a cool story. A Florida child is diagnosed with cancer and undergoes treatment in Philadelphia. His classmates manage to raise enough money for him to buy a robot that allows him to navigate his way through school and attend his classes through a video monitor. Obviously it is still less than ideal, but for someone that is in a bad situation like that, it is nice for him to be able to talk to his friends, know what is going on in his home town, and still be able to keep up with his school work. Devices like this could benefit so many people that need some sort of treatment, but cannot simply separate themselves from their regular lives as well, be it school, work, or their family. My mother was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and in regards to her treatment, she was lucky due to the fact that she works for UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch), and was able to adjust her work schedule to four 10-hour days rather than five 8-hour days. Because of that, and the fact that she's a pretty dang tough lady, she managed to have all of her chemotherapy treatments done on Fridays and never once had to use any sick days for her treatment with the exception of her initial surgery, which was a major one. Not everyone is that lucky, and while a robot would not be a viable solution in every instance, it is at least progress that offers some mobility beyond a simple conference style video monitor. Also, I feel like it is beneficial to the treatment process when a patient has some form of escape from the hospital and could potentially have a more positive outlook in a situation that is otherwise pretty depressing.