Local man helping hospitals collect tech so patients can see families virtually

BEVERLY, Mass. — As most hospitals restrict visitors many COVID-19 patients are dying without ever saying goodbye to their loved ones. Now hospitals are asking for used iPad and iPhone donations to facilitate video calls between patients and their families.

Noah Hano saw the plea on Facebook from a nurse practitioner who was using her own devices to help patients connect to loved ones. He jumped into action, raising more than $15,000 to go towards tablets, helping take the burden off healthcare workers.

Nurses at Beverly Hospital were ecstatic that they can now help their COVID-19 patients connect with loved ones.

“Sometimes it’s before they’re intubated, sometimes its unfortunately before they pass away,” Hano said. “It sort of hit home and I wanted to be able to do something.”

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In just the last week, Hano purchased close to 200 lower-cost tablets, set each of them up and brought them to local hospitals so that families can say that all too important last goodbye to their loved ones.

“You obviously want to be there in person, you want to be able to hold their hand, give them a kiss on the forehead,” Hano said. “But in lieu of that, what we have is technology, and this is a new world we’re living in and trying to navigate.”

The Facebook page he created specifically for the cause is getting flooded with support, and Hano is even getting calls for help from hospitals across the country.

“To have to find the technology, get the technology in the room, set up the zoom meeting and allow the families to say their goodbyes is a lot to ask for the frontliners,” Hano said.

But his mission does come with challenges. Hano had to get special permission from Best Buy to purchase more than two tablets at a time. Setting up the devices also takes time.

“We can use help setting them up,” he said. “We can use help purchasing them, we can use help collecting used tablets.”

Hesitant to take the credit, Hano said he’s just grateful to help fight a small battle in the greater war against COVID-19.

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“I know I won’t have enough to go around, to get them to every hospital,” he said. “If I can facilitate one more conversation, or one last conversation between a family and a patient then I think mission served.”

Hospitals are also using the devices for healthcare workers to communicate to one another from highly contaminated rooms, lowering the number of workers exposed.

On the South Shore, a doctor and lawyer are collecting donations as well.

Dr. Rachel Hitt with Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and Attorney Tisa Hughes are collecting used iPads and iPhones for several hospitals. The hospitals include Boston Medical Center, South Shore Hospital, Milton Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Carney Hospital.

They’re also offering instructions on how to clear the devices. For information on how to donate, send an email to ipads4covidcare@gmail.com.

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