When Jessica’s life was threatened by breast cancer, her husband’s gaming community with 300 members came to her rescue. They rallied around the couple and raised more than $1 million for lifesaving research, as per a report by Woman’s World. Gaming isn’t always just about passing the time by pressing some buttons; the people who share your likes and hobbies often end up becoming a part of a community that takes the form of friendship, one that is bonded in happiness and sadness, both.
They married in ’98, and Jessica started a private practice, while Matt turned a school project into the Portland Local Area Network (PDXLAN), centred on his video gaming community. She lost her hair and a quarter of her body weight.
“You told us the new drugs are helping, so this session, we want to raise money to support more research,” the group announced to Matt. Jessica and Matt met when they attended the same graduate school, where Jessica was working on her PhD in psychology and Matt on his M.B.A. After learning the news of her diagnosis, the community was devastated. Jessica’s treatment was also gruelling: a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation. Her mood bounced from hopeful to bleak, and so did Matt’s. But he tried hard to be Jessica’s rock. For the past several years, the gamers had raised money for charities that support sick children and people experiencing homelessness. Now, they wanted to redirect their generosity.