I’m a Technical Customer Service Specialist for Telstra Country Wide. I was recently part a very special Next G™ video call that brought a big smile to the face of one little boy suffering from cancer.

Since being diagnosed with cancer, John Nicholls has had to move from his home town of Pomona, located 80 kilometres northwest of Mildura, Victoria, to South Australia for specialist treatment.

Telstra Country Wide was involved in setting up a Next G™ video broadcast from John’s bedside at Ronald McDonald House in Adelaide to his classmates in Pomona.

In the classroom I placed a Next G™ mobile on a tripod with a video camera behind it to focus on the phone’s screen. A data show then projected John’s face onto a wall. The camera on the Next G™ phone allowed me to zoom in and out around the room so John could see his classmates, and vice versa. I rigged up a microphone from the phone onto a PA system so everyone in the classroom could hear what John was saying, as well as talk to him directly. I also set up an external antenna to ensure we had a good signal for the broadcast.

There were more than 25 kids in the room who sang action songs from the school concert John was missing. John’s father was also in the room and had time to chat to John on the video link. I am glad Telstra’s technology was able to bring happiness to not only John and his family, but also to his classmates and friends. Seeing affection is very powerful medicine.