Patchie: CYSTIC FIBROSIS CHILDRENS THERAPY APP

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited metabolic disease and up until today there is still no cure. In Germany alone, approximately 8,000 children and young adults suffer from the effects and each year about 200 newborns are born with the disease.

The time daily spent on vital therapeutic measures can include up to several hours. The children must take in a multitude of medications.

This is boring and strenuous, but absolutely essential.

The children do not always understand that the therapy is now important so that 10 years from now, they are still feeling fine. Especially in adolescence a collapse of the lung functionality occurs in many patients. During puberty the therapy loses importance and the disease is often displaced.

The solution: With Patchie the children are not only playfully introduced to the therapy and enthused, but they are also taught the importance of it in an age-based and sustainable way. As a game for Smartphones and Tablets.

The functions in brief:

• Game with reward system
• Therapeutic game
• Therapy plan for children, which grows with them
• Current news and information to the syndrome
• Therapy planer for parents
• Instructions and videos for treatment and medication.
• Function for the child care through third parties

The functions of Patchie are described and illustrated in detail on our website. http://en.patchie.org

The goal of Patchie is to promote in the children an understanding and above all additional incentives for their own therapy. Patchie is primarily a game and should be fun. The consequences of a therapy are portrayed age-based positively and negatively. The child has with Patchie a friend who suffers from the same syndrome and has the same needs. Patchie develops his own personality and needs, such as sleeping, eating, drinking and seeking the affection of the child. Of course, cystic fibrosis plays a crucial role. The child must treat Patchie and then sees what the consequences are if Patchie does not receive any treatment. Daily sports is one of them.

Patchie is designed for therapy needy children from the age of 6 to 16 years. The children's therapy app will first target children with cystic fibrosis.

We are also thinking about children with other diseases. The child therapy app will be developed as a White Label product. At a later point it can be adapted together with colleagues of the specialists in other special fields as well as diseases, e.g., asthma, leukaemia etc, for children and their families.

1. Because cystic fibrosis is only the beginning and other diseases will follow as a Children's Therapy App.

2. Because a variety of experiences and studies testify that the therapeutic use of computer games motivates.

3. Because with the children’s therapy app the children are informed age-based and playfully about their illness.

4. Because a game speaks a convincing and sustainable language understood by children and is fun for them

5. Because the parents already have hard time and a children's therapy app helps them to deal with the disease more easily.

6. Because this type of therapy can be fun and can lead to more success.

In order to implement the Children's Therapy App with all the basic functions, we need 75,000 Euros. We know that it is a lot of money. We have worked on this project since June 2014 and so far financed it completely out of our own means. The means are now exhausted and we now must rely on the financial aid of other people. Therefore we would like to win you as a supporter. With the money we will take in with your help, we will implement the following steps:

Extension of medical and technical cooperation, particularly for cystic fibrosis.
We will produce the contents of the Children's Therapy App and set up the knowledge for all age groups.
We will develop the Children's Therapy App and test it until it runs smoothly, helping those affected and is fun.

In order to develop the Children's Therapy App with a reduced budget, everyone involved in the team is fully present and forgoes most of their salary. In addition we have decided to determine different goals:

With 75,000 € we will fulfill all promises made and develop the Children's Therapy App in German and English for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

With 90,000 Euros we will localize the app in French and Spanish, develop a Windows Phone and Windows tablet version and install additional content such as tasks for the child, new worlds and mini-games for Patchie. Here we also have very good ideas. In addition, we would like to add the children's friends as an additional target group. What does this exactly mean? Friends and acquaintances can download the Children's Therapy App and get a very good impression of the clinical picture and everyday therapy. They can play the Tamagotchi part of the app, using a pre-made treatment plan and go first hand through all the moments of the illness. Of course through this they will receive additional information.

With 140,000 Euros we will localize the Children’s Therapy App in other languages and go on tour with Patchie. This means we will visit clinics and treatment centers, go to conferences and events related to the illness and explain the app and bring it nearer to many interested parties in order for it to benefit as many children as possible. You are welcome to invite us to an event. In addition, we will offer the children with the app age-based explanatory videos about the illness and therapy. Patchie will personally stand in front of the camera.

Sport is one of the most important measures in cystic fibrosis. With 140,000 Euros we will develop Patchie Fitness-Fun and integrate it fully into the app. Here children and adolescents can measure themselves with others in different disciplines (stretching, running, cycling, etc.) and track their athletic development. Of course, they unlock great rewards for Patchie and in turn receive from him stories and different assignments. The assignments are generated dynamically and matched to the respective treatment plan. This is not only exciting, but also a lot of fun!

In this project, it is not our aim to achieve financial gain, but rather to make the therapy for the children and their families simpler. All this thanks to your support.

If the Children’s Therapy App is overfunded, we will use the funds in order to supply more quickly to the needs of children with other diseases. If we are not able to reach our Crowdfunding goal then every supporter will of course get their money back.