Let me start by saying how lucky the students in your class are. When I became ill, it was the simple things that helped just as well as the big things.
If she have not been to New York before, find someone that has. Make a list of things that they might want to see or go to. They may have time to do tourist foe a day or two.
Do they have a ride to the airport? Do they need a ride home from the airport?
Get as many people to write her a get well or any other type of card as you can. This will bring joy to her no matter where she is.
Does the mom have a CarePage? My CarePage was a great source communication between myself and my loved ones. "Use CarePages to connect family and friends and share news, support and encouragement. Whether you are in the hospital, receiving care at home, or recovering, CarePages provides the forum to share stories and get support." To get started, please visit www.carepages.com.
Most people in New York travel by bus or subway. It is cheaper if you buy a "Metro" card. Look at this link for the costs:
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm#unlimited It is cheaper in my experience to buy the unlimited ride cards. You may think someone may not use a lot of rides, but you would be surprised. We would have saved over $100.00 if we had bought the unlimited card.
When I returned home, many families had volunteered to bring us dinner everyday for about two weeks. This takes a burden off of the mom. Not having tom worry about the meal of the day really helps.
Do they have anything that needs to be done while they are gone? Do animals have to be fed?
Is there any special medical or personal care item that she will need? I needed a hospitol bed, and a place here in town had one to donate.
Please tell her that she is in my thoughts and prayers.
Shannon