When Edmonds native and Iditarod racer Jan Steves found herself stuck in the Puget Sound area due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, she wasn’t about to sit still.

“I came down from Alaska several weeks ago to be with my daughter while she was recovering from influenza and pneumonia,” she said. “It was supposed to be a pretty short visit.”

After a two-week stint in the hospital, she and her daughter retreated to the family cabin in Eastern Washington to isolate and recover. Her original plan was to then return home to Willow, Alaska, but as with so many other plans these days, COVID put it on hold.

“By the time we got back, the border was closed and travel restrictions were on,” Steves explained. “That pretty much did it for going back to Alaska for the foreseeable.”

High-energy and enthusiastic by nature, Steves lives in an almost constant state of overdrive – and to just wait it out was not an option.

“I started looking around for something to do that would make a positive difference,” she explained. “I began by sewing masks for distribution to hospitals, nursing homes, responders and anyone else who needs them.”

But then she heard about a guy on the East Coast named Noah Hano, who had started purchasing and distributing tablet computers to patients — quarantined in nursing homes and hospitals — who were unable to visit with family and loved ones.

While no substitute for being physically in the room together, the tablets provided a springboard to apps like Skype, Zoom and Facetime offering the next best thing – quality, virtual, together time. In the more extreme cases, the tablets offer a way for families to connect before a patient dies or is intubated. In too many cases — in these times of COVID-19 — they have become the only way to say a final goodbye to a loved one.

This made it immediately personal for Steves.

Four years ago, her 31-year-old son suffered a massive heart attack. Despite heroic efforts the doctors were unable to save him.

“I know what it is like to have a loved one on life support,” Steves said. “I can’t imagine the grief of the families of COVID-19 patients, who are unable to be there by their side, to hold their hands and in some cases, say their goodbyes.

“And that’s exactly what many families of COVID patients are facing today,” she added. “After hearing about Hano’s project, I was immediately determined to do something similar right here.”

She set up a Facbook Fundraiser page, seeded it with some of her own money, and began soliciting funds. The response has been immediate and positive, with many individuals posting generous donations. Local businesses are helping too – McDonald McGarry Insurance has added a link to the fundraiser in their email signature block, so every customer with whom they correspond has a direct opportunity to help out.

And the tablets are already moving into hospitals and care facilities. Through a mutual friend, Steves was put in contact with Jan Flom, Director of Nursing at Swedish/Edmonds, and with her help has placed the first tablets with critical COVID patients there.

“I’m in contact with other hospitals in the area including the University of Washington,” Steves adds, “and I’m not stopping here. I want to go as far as I can, and hopefully work with hospitals up and down the West Coast and Alaska.”

If you can help, visit the COVID-19 Tablets fundraiser page. Every $50 collected buys a tablet, and each tablet provides that critical link between patients and loved ones.

— By Larry Vogel