Just read about this in Guideposts Magazine (nov 2004, p12)…

9-yo Ben Duskin has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Diagnosed with it at age 5. As a way of keeping his thoughts positive to help his own healing, Ben (who loves video games) pictured his medicine like a giant PacMan, gobbling up all the cancer cells in his body. Ben’s convinced that the visualisation helped him into remission.

So he said he wanted a video game that would help kids fight cancer. Finally, the Make-A-Wish Foundation found a programmer who would do it. Eric (the programmer) has created games for Windows, Mac, Nintendo and Playstation, including some Indiana Jones games and some Star Wars games.

Ben & Eric worked together weekly for seven months to create “Ben’s Game.”

Players zoom around on a hover board, stocking up on medicine, health, attitude and weapons to fight cancer. They must defeat seven monsters – like the baldness causing “Q-ball” – to win shields that prevent the side-effects of chemotherapy.

Here’s the link to the game: Ben’s game

Kudos to Eric Johnston and LucasArts, for making a little boy’s wish come true.

The website also has a page where you can get updated on Ben’s health (he’s 10 now, and the leukemia’s back, but it’s responding well to his new drug regimen.) There are also links on the page to learn more about leukemia, and links to info on being a marrow donor.

Check it out, and pass it along.