David

I was born with a cleft lip and palate. Due to this birth defect I have had over a dozen surgeries spanning 18 years. When I was 13 (back in 2001), I remember one particularly difficult surgery involved cracking my hip to extract marrow, which was then injected into the roof of my mouth. As a result of the broken hip bone, I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks following the surgery as my hip healed. For the first few days I was bedridden and had to call a nurse every time I wanted to use the washroom, using her and my IV stand to hold myself upright. What made that time bearable was an N64 system, TV, and a cart of games that was available for the floor I was on. After a week, the nurses used a computer lab down the hall with where I was able to play Civilization 2.

Video games didn't save my life, and I didn't have a terminal disease, but they took what could have been one of the worst experiences of my life and made it my most positive hospital-related experience to date. I am a huge fan of PA and its many ventures, but of Child's Play above all else. Thank you so much for the work that you do, and for making the lives of hospital-ridden children a little bit better.