Daniel Minns is as happy as an 11-year-old could be with a brand new TV, sound system and all the games he could ever want. But for Daniel, it provides little relief from the illness he has dealt with his entire life.
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Project Box Seat is installed in households with seriously ill children. The unit has a large TV, a state-of-the-art surround sound system, multiple video game consoles and a library of the latest DVDs and games.
Daniel, 11, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was two. His family had Project Box Seat installed at their house five weeks ago.
Daniel's father John, of Spence, said because the disease presented so early, it had caused issues for Daniel his entire life.
''It comes with a whole array of challenges. Managing diet and nutrition to promote healthy growth is tough,'' Dr Minns said.
''There are lots of hospital visits, lots of medicine and lots of needles.''
Crohn's is a chronic disease that affects the digestive tract. Usually it presents in the late teenage years or early 20s. However, a minority of patients are diagnosed quite young.
Project Box Seat was started 13 years ago by Canberra resident Cliff Armitage. Previously run by Camp Quality, the operation of the project has now been passed to the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. ''Project Box Seat isn't about the unit itself. It's about making families feel special when they're going through tough circumstances,'' Mr Armitage said.
A book fair organised by Mr Armitage and the Anglican Diocese will take place this week to raise funds for Project Box Seat. Mr Armitage says that right now, he is just trying to keep the project going.
''It can be very expensive to keep the wow factor of the unit going. I'm always updating the DVD library and the technology to keep it current and exciting,'' he said.
Even though the project is run through the Anglican Church, it is a secular charity operated to help families experiencing tough conditions.
The book fair will be held at St Peter's Anglican Church in Weston from August 28 to 31 with tens of thousands of books, DVDs, CDs and records for sale. There will also be a follow-up fair on September 7 at Wanniassa Hills Primary School.
Most of the proceeds will go to funding Project Box Seat, with the remainder going to Anglicare.
