A 14-year-old girl has such a deadly reaction to dairy products that a robot attends school on her behalf to ensure she does not miss out on her education.
Lauren Robinson from Fort Collins, Colorado in the U.S. cannot risk going to school as joining her friends in the classroom could be potentially fatal.
Her allergy is so severe that even the slightest contact with the tiniest trace of a dairy product could kill her, meaning the otherwise active and outgoing teenager must stay at home.
Serious: Lauren Robinson's allergy is so severe she is unable to risk being inside school
The ninth-grade pupil at Fossil Ridge High School said: 'I have a severe dairy allergy. There are kids touching the desk with their breakfast hands', she told CBS Denver.
However the allergy is not keeping Lauren out of the classroom thanks to her robot companion - VGo, which operates via wireless internet.
It is fitted with a screen meaning that pupils and teachers can see and talk to her while she is safe at home.
Face-to-face: The robot is fitted with a screen allowing Lauren to communicate with other pupils as she would if in the classroom
Classmate Nick Pallotti said: 'It would feel strange if you’re not really looking at the screen, but when you’re looking at the screen it’s like she’s right there with you'.
Lauren controls the robot's movements making it move in between classrooms by using a keyboard.
She said that gliding along school corridors sometimes makes her feel like a 'robo rockstar' as people passing by want to stop and talk when they see her.
She said: 'It’s kind of hard to get through because everyone’s trying to touch me and talk to me, so it’s kind of hard to get to class on time'.
Communication: The robot allows pupils and teachers to see and speak to Lauren via a computer screen
School principal Dr Deirdre Cook said it cost the school $5,000 to pay for the technology.
She said: 'You see kids light up when they see her. Part of it is that it's a robot and part of it is that it's Lauren and she has friends here.
'We’re hoping long-term it can save dollars, and give better first instruction to our students because she can be in the classroom'.
Moving around: Lauren takes a 'stroll' around a classroom saying gliding along makes her feel like a 'robo rockstar'
Lauren's mother Melissa who said the robot was reassuring as it allowed her daughter to continue her education said: 'She’s able to interact with kids the way that she would if she was in school. This is the next best thing'.
Lauren who was born with the allergy can actually spend time with friends outside of school and even plays in a field hockey team as long as anyone she comes in contact with is careful around dairy products.
She said: 'I’m really sad that I had to miss my freshman year, but I’m very happy that I’m able to go to school through this because it feels like I’m having the same experiences they (other pupils) are going to high school'.