June 29, 2001

According to his friends and family, 14-year-old Nick Ressler was someone who made an impression wherever he went. "He really was something else," said Sandra Pugsley, RN, who came to know Nick well as his primary nurse on Ellison 18. "He was very stylish, very funny and full of life. He was a wonderful kid."

When Nick died in April, after fighting a form of gastrointestinal cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma, those who had known him wanted to recognize his impact by paying tribute to his life and spirit. Nick's classmates, who are members of the student council at Concord Middle School in Concord, Mass., raised funds to purchase laptop computers for pediatric patients on Ellison 18. Wearing pins emblazoned with Nick's smiling photo, the students presented one of the laptops in a special ceremony June 12 before an audience that included Nick's parents, sisters and MGH caregivers.

The choice of laptops as a gift stemmed from a meaningful connection. "Since Nick had to spend so much time in the hospital, we all communicated with him online," explained student council officer Leora Kelman. "We came up with the idea to get laptops for the other kids in the hospital, so that they don't have to spend their time alone. With the computers, they can stay in touch with their friends." Genuity Inc., the employer of Nick's father, Paul, also has donated six laptops to the MGH in Nick's memory.

The student council held a raffle and sold everything from candy to a scooter to earn $1,500 for the laptop. After presenting the computer to MGH child life specialist Heather Peach, the students stood in a circle, each sharing a memory of Nick — some tearful, most full of laughter. "He never gave up," concluded one classmate. "He inspired all of us so much, and we loved him. So this is for all the kids here at the hospital with friends who love them too."

After presenting a laptop computer to the staff of Ellison 18, classmates of Nick Ressler gather with his family and MGH caregivers.