“Across the Walls”
– UPC Hungary’s program to make communication and entertainment easier for kids fighting with cancer
UPC started to support hospitals in 2001 and it’s currently supporting eight institutions across the country with a variety of telecommunications equipment and services for completely free of charge or at a significant discount. The charity program called „Across the walls” and strategic cooperation with the Hungarian Pediatric Oncology Network (MGYH) started in 2015, aims to raise these cooperation to a higher level. The small patients receiving treatment against cancer often spend weeks or months in the hospital, locked away from the outside world, from their friends and families. UPC services are offering not only fun and entertainment for them, but also open the door to the world, providing connectivity to their loved ones – in a situation where the communication is of particular importance. UPC has recognized this and started to implement “Across the Walls” program, inspired by earlier collaborations, such as the support of post-treatment recovery station Demeter House or the Native-cell Transplantation Department of St. László Hospital of Budapest.
The project was launched in 2001 and has been operating continuously since then. It was a great step towards quality development when MGYH was involved in 2015. From this time the decision-making process became more structured and more effective. That is when the new name of the project, „Across the Walls” came into use, expressing that by the help of broadband services, we want to make those kids’ life much easier who are treated in pediatric oncology departments and to ensure that they can keep intensive contact with their loved ones during the time of their recovery.
Currently 17 employees of UPC Hungary takes part in the project, including colleagues taking care of financial, administrative, and network operations tasks. The mentioned tasks are often being performed outside regular working hours, in colleagues own leisure time, thereby contributing to the success of the project.