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Blogs Can Change Lives – PSPs for Hospitalized Kids

Kids are made for fun.

Their bodies are designed to tear through their childhood, kicking up a storm of chaos and laughter.

When a child gets sidelined with life threatening or long term illness, not only do they have to face pain, suffering and fears that no child should have to endure, but they are trapped inside a body that denies them their natural state of play.

Fortunately, technology can bring a child who is sick a little bit of freedom.

Through their fingers and a 4.3” screen, they can run, jump, kick and scream – they can play unhindered in a virtual playground.

So, for this installment of Blogs Can Change Lives, we are partnering with PlayStation to bring PSP® (PlayStation Portable) systems to kids with life threatening or long term illnesses.

With your help, we are going to find TEN kids who are dealing with serious illness and periods of hospitalization and gift them each with a PSP Bundle.

When those kids touch their slick, new, portable pieces of gaming beauty, they will have something to jump up and down about.

Hey – they might even cry happy tears over their totally cool new toy. And, why not?

The new PSPs are insanely cool!

The PSP sets a new standard for entertainment on the go, with the first truly integrated handheld entertainment system designed to handle multiple applications — games, music, video, photo, Internet, wireless connectivity and more. You can even Skype on a PSP!!!

A PlayStation Portable will bring a sick child a ton of fun that they truly deserve.

Whether trapped in a hospital room or stuck home in bed, a kid can be a kid with their very own PSP.

What Each Child Will Receive

We have TEN PSP® Bundles to distribute to seriously ill children and teenagers who face extended periods of time bedridden and/or hospitalized.

Five of those selected recipients will receive the limited-edition Daxter™ PSP® Entertainment Pack.

The Daxter™ package, (which is rated “E” for everyone and is available for $199.99 MSRP,) delivers an all-in-one portable entertainment experience right out of the box, including:

  • A new “Ice Silver” colored PSP system
  • The action-packed “Greatest Hits” game, Daxter
  • The animated TV comedy, “Family Guy – The Freakin’ Sweet Collection,” on UMD™ (Universal Media Disc)
  • 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo™

The other five recipients will receive the limited-edition Madden NFL 09 PSP® Entertainment Pack.

Centered on the 20th Anniversary edition of the popular sports franchise, the Madden NFL 09 bundle, (which is also rated “E” for everyone and is available for $199.99 MSRP,) showcases the multi-functional features of the PSP system, from gaming to videos and music, including:

  • An exclusive “Metallic Blue” PSP-2000 system (This is the only time that this special PSP color will be offered in North America.)
  • Madden NFL 09, NFL: In Just One Play UMD video
  • Beats™ PLAYSTATION®Network voucher
  • 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo

Both of these bundles feature the exciting new PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system which has an enhanced design — a sleeker profile, thinner battery, video-out capability, and 64MB of system memory.

PSP brings an unparalleled gaming experience to a handheld platform, allowing users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality, full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio.

And because of PLAYSTATION’s generosity – and YOU! – ten kids battling critical health issues will get to experience PSP action wherever life takes them!

So — How Can You Help?

We need to make sure these ten PSPs get into the right hands!

  1. Nominate
  2. Do you know a child or teenager who is battling serious or life threatening illness who could really use the gift of a PlayStation Portable system but, due to financial limitations, their family cannot afford one?

    If so, you can nominate them.

    To nominate a child/teenager, (your nominee can be your own child,) you can write your nomination post on your own blog and leave the permalink in the comment section. Or, if you don’t have a blog, you can just leave a comment with your nomination.

    Please keep private details (including names and financial information that may be too personal) out of your story. If you feel you need to email us additional information privately, you can reach us at 5minutesformom at gmail dot com. Please put PSP NOMINATION in the subject.

    We will select a number of nominations and then let random.org help us with the final decisions.

    Before we announce the winners, we may need to talk on the phone with the nominator or parents of the child to confirm the situation. So if you nominated a child, please watch for an email from us.

    We will accept nominations through November 18th and then post the winners on Monday, November 24th.

    PLEASE do not let the child know that you are nominating them. As you can imagine, choosing the recipients will be heartbreaking and we do not want the children to be devastated if they are not selected.

  3. Spread the word
  4. We need to make sure people hear about this project so that we can get the PSPs to children who are enduring critical, long term health issues and can’t afford a gaming system.

    And, of course, the more bloggers spread the fantastic news about what Blogs Can Change Lives and PLAYSTATION are doing with this PSP project, the more lives we will be able to change in the future.

    Grab a button and post!

    Thanks to Selene from iDesign Studios, (who won our button design contest last year for the UBP 08,) we have four different sized banners to choose from. Click here to see all the options and grab the codes.

    (You do not need to post a button to nominate or post about the project. We are just providing these buttons for bloggers who wish to help out spreading the word about Blogs Can Change Lives with a button either in their post or in their sidebar.)

  5. Comment
  6. Please leave a comment letting PLAYSTATION know that you are taking notice of them! We want to support the companies who support Blogs Can Change Lives.

    If you do not have a family to nominate, please read/visit some of the other nominations and feel free to leave some cyber support for these incredible kids and their families!

Changing kid’s lives through our blogs — yes this blogging thing is VERY cool.

So, go do your bloggy thing and LET’S CHANGE SOME KIDS’ LIVES!!!


About Janice

Janice is co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom.Along with her twin sister Susan and their mother Joan, Janice also owns two online toy stores -- one specializing in Ride on Toys and the other in Rocking Horses.Janice has a spunky little girl and a rambunctious boy who love to make it difficult for her to work from home.

197 Comments

  • 151
    Jane Hartle
    November 8, 2008 | Permalink |

    I vote for Kyler Young! I have known Kyler and his mom for a very long time and he deserves to win.

  • 152
    November 8, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to nominate my son for one of these. He has been hospitalized 21 times in the past 24 months, undergoing 5 major surgeries and countless complications and illnesses.

    If you need more information, feel free to contact me.

    Thanks!

  • 153
    Sam Tramontana
    November 9, 2008 | Permalink |

    Our vote is for Coleman Scott Larson. He is battling Medulloblastoma and the family just found out that the last several rounds of chemo hasn’t helped, and his cancer has spread, pretty significantly. You can check out my wife’s blog: http://www.tramontanamemories.blogspot.com to read more about him or how to get on his Caringbridge Care Page. This kid deserves this more than anyone I know and we have pledged to make enough to buy Colemans twin brother a PSP too if we win for them. Coleman’s brother, Caden …. is amazing and he’s always there for Coleman — never complaining. Please give Coleman a chance.

  • 154
    veronica sandberg
    November 9, 2008 | Permalink |

    want to win this

  • 155
    Tara
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    I vote for Kyler

  • 156
    Cage
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Kyler Young would have so much fun with one of these!

  • 157
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    kyler

  • 158
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    I already voted for Kyler above, and I’d like to vote for Coleman Larson as well! He needs as much sunshine in his life as he can get right now! Truly a deserving kid!

  • 159
    Shannon
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Kyler Young!!!

  • 160
    Tiffany Crabtree
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    I vote for Kyler!

  • 161
    Sue Yandt
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    My vote is for Kyler Young.

  • 162
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Kyler is an outstanding young man and is very social and out going. I rarely hear him complain about his health until lately when he is so anxious to get on with his life like a normal healthy person, I vote for Kyler and would vote a million times if I could.

  • 163
    Dan
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    my vote is for Kyler Young.

  • 164
    Matt Losch
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    My vote is for Kyler Young

  • 165
    Mike Renard
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Kyler is my vote. I’m sure there are several kids who deserve this, it’s too bad there has to be one. Kyler is my nephew, I am truly speechless at times as to what this young man has gone through in his short lifetime. He does not complain. He just keeps going. He is the energizer bunny.

  • 166
    Carrie Beaupre
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would love to nominate Kyler Young. He is a great kid. Patient, kind, wonderful! Very deserving.

  • 167
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Kyler Young shoud win!

  • 168
    Shemariah Nelson
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Kyler Young to win a PSP for sick kids! -SN

  • 169
    Peggy Hanis
    November 10, 2008 | Permalink |

    Just another vote for Kyler Young – my step-nephew who’s been through a lot his entire life. A very nice teenager who takes the time to play with his much younger cousins at family get togethers.
    I also vote for Tacoma Children’s Hospital who did so much for my niece and my grandson when he needed surgery.

  • 170
    Lorraine Mead
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    My vote is for Kyler Young. I still vision Kyler as a very young child. Time passes so quickly, yet it is amazing to see the little boy growing toward manhood. Hang in there Kyler, you are so loved, by so many that you may not even know.
    I wish well to all of the people will conditions needing help like this. God Bless!

  • 171
    Honor
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    I am nominating Kyler Young to win the PSP.

    Thanks!!

  • 172
    Belinda Sillito
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    My vote is for Kyler Young. He has has years of health issues that threaten his life. I’ve known you since you were born and watched you grow and struggle. Best smile around! Hang in there Kyler!

  • 173
    Gina Wescott
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    I vote for Kyler Young!

  • 174
    Keri Mead
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    I vote for Kyler Young!

  • 175
    Nancy
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    Here’s another vote for Kyler Young!!

  • 176
    Tracy Pratt
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    I am good friends with Lorraine Mead and she thinks Kyler is so awesome. She is so awesome, to share his story with us and have the opportunity to vote for him. Kyler our prayers are with you on this journey. Our family votes for Kyler Young.

  • 177
    SGT Adam L Small
    November 11, 2008 | Permalink |

    Hi there. I was wondering if you would consider an adult with serious illness. I am US Army and my wife has MS which has been progressively worsening over the past months and causing some serious impairments. The hospital is like her 2nd home and she is there monthly for a minimum of 13 days. She recently was at a Rehabilition Hospital for 4 weeks as she had lost use of her left side and they were trying to improve that as well as her cognitive and reactions so she spent a lot of time in therapy with the Wii which has been known to help people with problems. She enjoyed it and I would love for her to have a PSP to keep her mind going, keep her fingers functioning (something some of us take for granted) and it would also lift her spirits. We are currently stationed overseas in Germany and hospital stays aren’t fun due to language barrier which also goes for TV so she is usually bored to death and because I am in the fields a lot she is alone with no interaction until I get to visit. We have so many expenses I can’t buy one so winning would be great! If you could select an adult, please consider her. It would be appreciated. Our mailing address is still USA but I can always pay shipping. If not, I still think this is a wonderful giveaway.

  • 178
    November 12, 2008 | Permalink |

    Vote for Kyler Young to win a PSP for sick kids

  • 179
    Judie
    November 12, 2008 | Permalink |

    I nominate Kyler Young.

  • 180
    November 12, 2008 | Permalink |

    THis is wonderful and I would love to nominate a little boy named Max. Please read my nomination post here
    http://itsmyblogandillcryifiwantto.blogspot.com/2008/11/blogs-can-change-lives.html

  • 181
    Celeste
    November 12, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to vote for Kyler Young.

  • 182
    November 13, 2008 | Permalink |

    My sister has been tossing up whether to get her son a PSP or a Nintendo DS Lite for Christmas…not knocking Nintendo but after reading this, I will definitely be letting her know about the wonderful things that Playstation/Sony is doing here and give her my 2 cents about which to buy ;) ….I am going to add the button to both of my blogs and I will also blog about it in a day or two…ty for making so many kids lives a little more “normal”….God bless!

  • 183
    Kelly Hargrave
    November 13, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to nominate my daughter, who is 6 1/2 years old. She has a neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II.It is a degenerative disease. She cannot walk or stand. She uses a wheelchair to get around. The disease weakens her respiratory muscles & she gets really sick from just the common cold. When she is sick she needs to stay home from school to have extra respiratory treatments, sometimes for a week or more. She has been hospitalized 4 times in the last 3 years for pnuemonia. She gets really bored there especially because she is usually in the ICU or on precautions that don’t allow her to leave her room. Trying to keep her entertained through her treatments is hard, she is very social & creative so being stuck in a bed is hard. Even when she is not sick she has physical therapy several times a week & uses a standing frame everyday. These are painful activities for her & the only way to get through them is to distract her. The older she gets the harder that is, she is not as enamoured by bubbles during therapy anymore :)
    There are also times when she is out & cannot participate in everything her friends do so it’s nice for her to have a special activity for herself. Having a PSP would mean alot to her because there are so many situations where she can’t do what she truly would want to do & must sit & watch others. Or she is too sick to do anything else & needs something fun to pass the time. This is something we would love to do for her but medical expenses take up a major portion of our budget & this is not something we can afford for our sweet, beautiful girl. Thank you.

  • 184
    Maria
    November 13, 2008 | Permalink |

    Brooke Martin has my vote.

  • 185
    November 14, 2008 | Permalink |

    My son Blake would love this. His brother has a video game. And he wants to play it all the time. They have to share. But if blake had his own he would feel so good. Blake is in a wheel chair. Has cp doesnt like very many toys.

  • 186
    Jodie Larsen
    November 15, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to nominate Kyler Young for the PSP award. He is very deserving and is such a good young man who has had a lifetime of health issues.

  • 187
    Taylor Hansen
    November 16, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to vote for Kyler Young.

  • 188
    November 17, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to Nominate Zoe at http://zoesheart.com/ She is currently waiting for a heart transplant, but even once she gets it there will be long hospitals stays and much time for healing! She’s having to wait in the hospital and is in pretty sad shape!

  • 189
    Jill
    November 17, 2008 | Permalink |

    I am honored to nominate my son, Daniel, to win your very generous donation of a PSP. Daniel is 11 years old and is medically fragile. Having had 17 surgeries in his short life, there are more procedures on the horizon for him. He has spina bifida, a brain stem malformation, is paralyzed from the waist down and as such some of his internal organs are paralyzed requiring daily uncomfortable procedures like urinary catheterizations five to seven times a day and rectal stimulation. I could write a novel on Daniel’s strugges, but I know you will receive many worthy nominations and am respectful of your time. I do know this, however: this gift could not be bestowed on a more grateful child in Daniel.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Respectfully,
    Daniel’s incredibly proud mother

  • 190
    November 17, 2008 | Permalink |

    You know what, I thought this was a good idea but didn’t think I had anyone to nominate, so let it go. I would post this on my blog, but I think the family would prefer I not do that, so I’ll be pretty careful what I say. My husband works with a man (they teach together at a Christian school) who has a son with a serious illness. I’m not even sure exactly what it is, but he’s wheelchair bound for life. He has a little sister (1st grader) who seems to be developing typically. He has a baby brother who has recently been diagnosed with the same thing he has. This baby (1 year old) looks like nothing is wrong. The family all knows that soon enough they will have two sons in wheelchairs for life.

    This kid is the sharpest thing I’ve ever seen. He has a great attitude and spunk. I think this gift would really be a boost. They have recently moved to where we live and are still in the process of adjusting to the locale and community. Anyway, thanks for thinking of him.

  • 191
    November 17, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to nominate a friend’s daughter. Bailey is 17 years old and lives in Tulsa, OK. In October of this year she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She has been going through chemo and has already lost all of her hair. She has two younger siblings, ages 4 and 6. The last month and a half has been very difficult on the entire family. I haven’t posted this on my personal blog because I haven’t been able to discuss this with their family first. My heart goes out to her and I would enjoy seeing her smile. Thank you for considering Bailey.

  • 192
    November 18, 2008 | Permalink |

    Here is a local story about a little girl that could really use it:

    http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4824304

    Whoever get these, what a WONDERFUL gift you give. My heart is with all the families of sick children.

  • 193
    Noralee
    November 18, 2008 | Permalink |

    I have a great nephew I’d like to nominate. He is six years old and a great kid. He was born with Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children. A person with CF has a defective gene that produces a protein that causes the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus. This mucus clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections this mucus also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

    He is a very active, happy child. He relates well to others and enjoys playing with his extended family (he is an only child.) This is his first year to attend school and he loves it.

    Because of the digestive problems associated with CF his is small for his size and has to be fed suppliments through a feeding tube into his stomach. He has a machine that he wears several times a day to break up the mucus in his lungs.

    He travels about 100 miles to see his attending physician at a Children’s Hospital for regular check ups and sometimes has to stay in the hospital for several days. He averages around one hospital stay a year. This can be an anxious time yet he is a real trooper. All of the hospital staff love him and he likes the attention.

    At the time of my writing this he is in the hosptial for pnuemonia. Today his mother said that he has improved enough to be transfered from PCU to a regular room later this week.

    Thanks so much for this wonderful giveaway. It will make the day for 10 children. My thanks to Playstation also. What an awesome company!!!

  • 194
    christine Deeths
    November 18, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to nominate my friend’s son M, age 6, he has been hospitalized 6 times this year and had 3 surgeries for bleeding in his colon. A few months ago he had to have his entire colon removed and now has an ostomy to stool out of. His doctors were hoping this would fix his problems but it has not entirely and he has been hospitalized several other times. He is facing several other surgeries next year. His brother has Autism and the hospital where he has been hospitalized is 120 miles from thier home. This year has been very difficult for the family because of the travel and hospital stays.

    I would also like to nominate my daughter Becca. Becca has Cystic Fibrosis. The hospital where she is cared for is over 100 miles from our home and we need to go there at least once a month. Becca was hospitalized 120 days last year and 45 days so far this year. I am a single parent and have missed alot of work the past two years to care for her and be with her in the hospital. It is very hard to keep her busy and happy during the long car rides and long hospital stays.

    If I can only nominate one of the children I would rather nominate my friend’s son because he would really enjoy the PSP alot and it would make a big difference for him. His family has been through alot and really tries hard but with 2 special needs kids has a really hard time.

  • 195
    November 21, 2008 | Permalink |

    I would like to nominate my son who is 5 and has ADHD and ODD. He loveS things like this. He is really a hyper child and can be really hard to handle for me. (I have Bipolar and ADHD) Right now we’re trying to find something that will keep him busy and from being mean to his sisters.

    He gets on my desktop and finds his way online watching Transformers and Mostly Cartoon Network cartoons. He is so smart. I never once showed him how to use the computer or even how to open the browser to get on youtube. LOL

    The PSP would be really great for him to keep him busy.

    Thank you!

  • 196
    Jamaise
    November 25, 2008 | Permalink |

    I vote for Kyler Young. Good Luck!

  • 197
    March 27, 2009 | Permalink |

    I put this button on my blog listed above and my LJ. What a fantastic program.

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