Sick Kids Wowed By Google Glass Zoo Trip
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Courtesy Houston Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital(HOUSTON) — The use of the Google Glass wearable computer technology at Houston’s Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has allowed sick children who suffer from debilitating conditions to see the world outside their hospital bed.
That world begins at the Houston Zoo, also a member of the Google Glass Explorer Program, which allowed children to take a virtual tour of the zoo without ever leaving their rooms.
The use of Google Glass at the hospital was especially rewarding for Raquel Neal’s 6-year-old son Jayden, who suffers from type 1 diabetes.
“It’s been a rough year for Jayden with multiple visits to the hospital which include IV’s, insulin, and finger pricks,” she told ABC News. “He wonders why he can’t be like the other kids.”
Neal says her son loves visiting the zoo, but was a little confused when his nurses put the Google glasses on him, illustrating the front entrance of the zoo on the lens. Then a voice said, “Hey Jayden, this is Ryan at the Houston Zoo.”
Jayden replied, “Who said that?”
All of a sudden, Jayden’s face lights up, as seen in this video released by the hospital, when he realizes he’s looking at a real jaguar.
“It made him feel like he was a normal kid. When it was time to leave the hospital, he didn’t want to go home,” said his mother.
Through the use of Google Glass, an employee at the Houston Zoo took the kid patients on their own personal tour to see the animals up close, including a sea lion, giraffes and jellyfish.
The hospital tells ABC News that they plan to consult with their physicians and clinicians on how this technology could further benefit their patients. The Houston Children’s Hospital believes Google Glass has the ability to take their quality of care to new levels.
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