Diego's Story: The Puerto Rican Student Who Graduated 6th Grade thanks to an AV1 Robot, and his Dad

Getting an AV1 robot for Diego

Diego was in the first semester of 5th-grade when he was diagnosed with cancer, and his father was focussed on finding him the best doctors and the best support. This took the family to Miami.

Undergoing out-of-state cancer treatment, they soon had another life-altering challenge to deal with. How would Diego keep up with school? This is when his father first discovered AV1.

He immediately recognised it was a solution for Diego to continue his learning, since the treatment would mean Diego would not be physically able to attend class, but his willingness to learn was as strong as ever.

AV1 is a pioneering tool developed by Norwegian company No Isolation, which is embedded in thousands of schools and districts across Europe, to support tens of thousands of children. However North America is behind, and Javier was quick to recognise that he would need to advocate for his son's support.

Javier demonstrated the value of AV1 to the school, the American Military Academy in Puerto Rico. They were on board, so No Isolation's US representative - Kate Pechacek – coordinate an AV1 to be sent to his school in Puerto Rico. From the US, Diego connected in a matter of minutes and started using AV1 right away.

Implementing AV1, and reconnecting to school life

The family, teachers, and classmates rallied around the robot. It offered Diego not just academic continuity, but a critical emotional lifeline. During medical challenges, he remained part of his learning community.

It helped him engage not only with his education, but he connected to his friends and teachers as if we was there.

From hospital, Diego shared a heartwarming message about his experience with AV1.

Javier shared his own message of gratitude with No Isolation:

"He felt like he was part of the class and he was present. On behalf of my family, we are very grateful."

Continued learning and looking to the future

Diego was able to learn through AV1, continuing to join lessons before and after a successful surgery where all cancer was removed by April 2025.

By May 2026, he is back to full health and taking his AV1 to his graduation, alongside his friends.

Across the U.S., school systems are grappling with a common challenge: how to keep students connected when attendance isn’t possible. Whether it’s a fifth grader undergoing chemotherapy, a university student balancing parenthood, or a high schooler with social anxiety, AV1 offers a simple but powerful solution: be there, even when you can’t.