Leukaemia patient gets game wish

LucasArts and Eric Johnson make it possible

Nine year old leukaemia patient and keen gamer Ben Duskin had his wish made true yesterday when he released his very own computer game.

When starting his treatment, at UCSF Children's Hospital, California, Ben's mother used computer games to describe how his treatment worked - like Pac-Man wolfing down the cancer cells. Playing such games, Ben then realised that this concept would actually make rather a good game in itself.

Ben's mother then approached the Greater Bay Area chapter of the 'Make-A-Wish Foundation', a charity that grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses, and put Ben's proposal to them.

This wish was to prove no mean feat as Patricia Wilson, executive director for the charity, explains - "The initial response was overwhelmingly pessimistic. People told us this venture was nearly impossible without taking several years and literally millions of dollars."

Enter Eric Johnson, senior software engineer at developer LucasArts. Johnson found out about the wish, and pitched the game to his employers. They offered the use of all LucasArts facilities, but Johnson would have to do the work in his own time - evenings and weekends. So he did.

"This has been the thing that has taken over my extra time, and there's no other way I would have rather spent that time," Johnson told the San Jose Mercury.

The game was produced in a matter of months, with Ben's input and medical advice from Ben's own physician Dr. Seymour Zoger via weekly meetings with Johnson.

"Eric and Ben achieved the impossible," said Wilson. "Ben's wish is inspiring, because it was selfless and Ben is a philanthropist. Finding an angel like Eric Johnson was a miracle, and having the support of UCSF and his medical team was invaluable."

The game produced involves destroying mutated cells and collecting shields to provide protection from the side-effects of chemotherapy. All the shields have a monster guarding them:

• Colds - Iceman Monster
• Barf - Robarf Monster
• Chicken Pox - Big Chicken Monster
• Fever - Firemonster
• Bleeding - Vamp Monster
• Hair Loss - Qball Monster
• Rash - Tornado Monster

The analogy continues with health being sought from hospitals, ammo from pharmacies, and 'attitude' from home.

The beta version of the game is freely downloadable from the Make a Wish website.

By Jason Cartwright