Through her company, Unifone director Beckie Baird made the donation of three tablets and accompanying Wi-Fi worth $2500 to the facility's chemo treatment room yesterday morning, with husband and managing director Travis.
The internet-enabled tablets, which can be used by those undergoing chemo treatment at the South Otago facility, will also come pre-loaded with a new cancer survivor magazine, created by Mrs Baird and collaborators, called In It Together.
The magazine drew on her and fellow cancer survivors Emma Kelly and Anna Townsend's experiences undergoing treatment in Dunedin Hospital's chemo facility two years ago.
The three women befriended one another during treatment, and were inspired to create something to help other patients, Mrs Baird said.
"While I was being treated [for Hodgkin's lymphoma], I was thinking of ways to make the waiting more interesting. First we came up with the idea of individual tablets for entertainment, then the magazine - everyone has a unique story to tell."
If the South Otago "test run" proved successful, Unifone hoped to roll out tablets for other SDHB chemo facilities, starting with Dunedin.
CHF team leader district/chemo Helen Keen called the tablets a welcome innovation.
"Because the units are curtained off, TV didn't really work. So this will allow patients to distract and entertain themselves during what can sometimes be long and quite boring treatment."
