Stars' iPads make hospital more fun

Jizavier Henry gives one of the donated iPads a try-out yesterday after All Black Dan Carter (right) presented them at the Starship. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Jizavier Henry has had 12 hours of dialysis treatment almost every week of his life.

The Mangere 14-year-old has end-stage kidney failure and has lived with the illness since he was just a few months old.

He needs haemodialysis treatment for four hours at a time, three days a week, while attached to a dialysis machine.

All this means Jizavier has to sit still for up to four hours at a time - a hard ask for any teenage boy, let alone one who is seeing his own blood pumped through tubes and into a machine.

But now the Mangere College pupil can stay occupied, thanks to the donation of five iPads by the For Everyone charitable foundation, created by rugby stars Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Ali Williams.

Carter was on hand yesterday to present the iPads and met Jizavier as he received treatment at the Starship, one of two hospitals where the iPads will be used. The other is the Counties Manukau Super Clinic.

Jizavier said he was used to the long sessions but would normally sleep or watch television to pass time. "[The iPads will] make it more fun, not so boring."

He was looking forward to playing games, listening to music and using Skype.

He had met a few rugby stars before, but it was the first time he had met Carter.

"He asked me lots of questions, like did I like rugby - I said it was cool."

His dad, Johnny Henry, said the long sessions made it hard for his son to balance his school life. "He's been through a lot."

Jo Morgan, Kidney Kids fundraising and events manager, said For Everyone jumped at the opportunity to fund the project.