i:;
welve year-old Sara Ward checked in for chemotherapy at it's a good way to cope," she says. "Recently, the hospital had been
the IWK in April of zoo9. But it wasn't until October that
she was able to participate with other patients in ways
that were impossible during the preceding months.
On October 79, 2oog, the IWK introduced its new Upopolis
social networking programme. Like Facebook (but geared spe-
cifically for sick kids), the website offers a way for patients at the
IWK to keep in touch and socialize.
Ward has used the site ever since. With everl.thing from photo-
sharing options to a homework calendar and medical-term
dictionary, Upopolis offers a sense of community for kids who
can often feel alienated and alone.
She's met a few friends at the hospital so far and uses Upopolis
to keep in touch. "l think it's pretty cool," she says. "When you
don't know how they're doing, you can go online and see."
Linda Skinner is the profession practice chief for child life at
the IWK. She believes that computer access and an online com-
munity are essential for patients. "l11ness is an isolating thing in
itself, so it's important that they can stay in touch with others and
restricting visitors due to nrNr. So it has come to be important
in ways that we didn't expect."
When Ward wrapped up her chemotherapy treatments late last
year, she planned to continue with Upopolis after returning home
to New Brunswick. "l'11 be happy to have it, especially when I'm
done with chemo and can keep in touch with people from home,"
she said.
But for staff and educators at the hospital, an important role
of the site stretches beyond social networking. Message boards
and posts explain medical treatment terms, translating them into
simpler language thatboth kids and parents understand. The site's
"Health Topics" page lists treatments including bone density tests,
barium swallows and x-rays. Scary stuff for any patient-the slte
maps out each procedure, answering questions like "What happens
in the OR?" and "What if I'm in pain?"
It's also a useful way for patients to benefit from each other's
experiences. "You can use it to blog," explains Ward. "There are
some things they don't tell you on the website-like if certain
MARCH 2oro halifaxmag.com | 29
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Though the website might be unique for
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Nova Scotia and The World has a website answering tough questions
about death.
Upopolis can help sick kids cope as they
battle illness in the hospital. "Everfhing
we know is that it makes kids feel better,"
says Skinner. "lf they're able to communi-
cate, to cope, then they're happy, and they
feel a sense of accomplishment. They can
deal with things that they couldn't before."
Ward agrees. "lt's a good place," she says.
"Especially for kiris that aren't on Facebook."
But for some, therein lies the problemwith
Upopolis: it's not Facebook-a site widely
used by people of all ages to keep in touch
online. The IWK doesn't al1ow Facebook
access across the board. Currently, some
computers do provide Facebook access but
not the ones handed out to kids for using
Upopolis.
But academics and researchers say it's
important to allow sick kids to go on the
same sltes as they frequented before il1ness.

Patricia Parsons is a public-reiations pro-

fessor at Mount Saint Vincent University
and an erpert in hea]th-care communica-
tions. She believes that the IWK should
provide access to Facebook on all comput-
ers that kids use.
"I'd be concerned that [a child] was
becoming even more cut off," she says. "It
becomes a communication that's based on
mutual interest. And some kids might not
want to identi$,with that particular illness.
Canadians are some of the blggest users of
Facebook, and we're culturally more
inclined to want to connect with people
we already know. It's probably of limited
value to want to connect with kids that are
also sick."
Stanley Kutcher, a psychiatry professor
at Dalhousie University and expert on
youth and mental health, says he had been
hoping for the IWK to open up computers
30 | halifaxmag.com MARCH 2oro
to social networking. "These days it's the
equivalent of not belng abie to have a TV
or a phone," he explains of restricting com-
puter access. "It's absolutely fundamental
to how kids communicate."
He's glad the IWK has implemented a
system like Upopolis. "Kids are con-
nected-end of story," he says. "If [they're]
removed from their peer group, it can
cause differences when they have to inte-
grate back in... social networking is part
of their education. They can't understand
what's happening in a world without being
online. It's very important."
Though the IWK is the first hospital in
Atlantic Canada to adopt the program,
Upopolis is also used in hospitals in Ontario
and British Columbia. Skinner hopes that
kids from across Canada will be able to
meet one another through Upopolis as
more hospitals adopt the website.
"lt's not the quantity of users at this
point, it's the quality,'she adds. Upopolis
is currently used by about 15 patients at the
IWK.
Still, Ward uses it each day. She even
admits: "My mom thinks it's a cool way to
stay in touch." Fil

rvrARCH 2oro halifaxmag.com | 31

 {"-l* a: f.::r 3:: E; t-c} r-s

ANGELA TAMMY FANCY JAMES INGRAM

MOMBOURQUETTE
Cover story
Angela is a freelance writer
and independent fi lmmaker.
She writes a weekly column in
the Halifax Community Herald.
www.angmom bo.com
Photography for Citysca pe
Tammy has shot {or East Coast
Living, Proflesfor Success and
Our Children magazines, plus
two cookbooks from Formac
Publishing.
www.fa n cyfreefoto,co m
Photography for cover,
cover story
James is the owner of .Jive
Photographic. His works have
appeared in publications such
as Maclean's, Canadian Living,
Chatel a ne and Weddingbells.
i

www.jivephotograph ic.com

LYNDSIE BOURGON DANNY HEWITT

"Reaching out"
A freelance journalist and
editor, Lyndsie has a
journalism degree from the
University of King's College
She has written for the
Chronicle Herald, Globe and
Mail and This Magazine.
Wine
After r5 years in the restaurant
business, Danny now co-owns
i nnovative Beverages, an
importer of fine wines and is a
CAPSAC-certifled som mel ier.
LINDSEY BUNIN
Shoppi ng
Lindsey has a combined
honours degree in journalism
and political science from the
University of King's College.
Her publication credits include
The Daily News, The Hill Times,
Busi ness Vo ice, M etro H a lifax
and The Weekly News.

JEREMY TSANG
Photography for Shoppi ng,
Afterthought
Currently working on an
internship with Halifax
Magazine, Jeremy divides his
time between art
documentation and
commercial work while
pursuing his interest in
fashion photography and
o conceptual projects.
z
z
I
JESSTCA ETSSFELDT
Dining, Cityscape
A journalism graduate of
Oklahoma State University,
and currently a freelance
journalist, Jessica recently TIFFANY GRANT
completed an internship at Citysca pe
Metro Cuide Publishing. She Tiffany is a journalism student
regularly contributes to several at the University of King's
Canadian publicatlons. College. She is from Nassau,
Bahamas where she had a
stint as a newspaper reporter.

:
i

I
o
a
!r.. i STEPHEN PATRICK CLARE
Citysca pe
z Stephen is a regular contribu-
tor to several publications. He
z also co-authored, with Trevor
J. Adams, Atlantic Canada's
1oo Createst, Books, from
o
i
o Nimbus Publishing.
i-
o

MARCH 2oro halifaxmag.com | 9