Hospitals can be scary, lonely, boring places, with slow moving days, leading to what can be a troubling environment for children. Gaming can be a great icebreaker. Whether played online, or with friends, games help connect people and have been shown to aid in pain management. I experienced this as a shy child on the ward, when kicking ass at Tekken 3 made the bigger kids my friends! That’s the kind of interaction Get-Well Gamers aims to foster. I failed my exams every year, and passed the resits, before the inevitable happened, and I crashed out after five years of growing mental health issues. Following this, I worked in call centres, which helped my anxiety no end! In early 2018, at my lowest ebb, I had a breakdown, following a sudden bereavement, and loss of a job. At this time, I honestly felt worthless. My future looked bleak, I couldn’t ever see myself happy, I had chronic health issues, and I felt I had nothing to wake up for. I saw an advert online for a part time Escape Room job, and on a whim due to my love of Monkey Island, Broken Sword and…well, The Crystal Maze, I applied. I’m now having an amazing time within my new team, finally happy in a role where I can let my personality through, and help people enjoy a great day out. I did, however, find myself with more spare time and energy than I knew what to do with, having shut down all of my hobbies as the years had passed. I quickly became more involved, helping to develop volunteer packs so new volunteers feel empowered to do what they can, especially as we expand. I joined the social media team. I made a ridiculous Post-It note mosaic on my wall. I felt encouraged every step of the way, as my contributions to a number of areas were recognised. It thrills me that I finally have the chance to develop and expand with freedom as I work with so many talented creators and volunteers. GWG really is changing my perception on life and myself, as I am able to throw myself into challenges and tasks which I never thought I would have the chance to. I feel as if I’ve tapped in a cheat code to unlock my own future. I’m delighted so much is happening to grow Get-Well Gamers, and I’m genuinely excited to see what the end of the year brings for both the charity and myself. I can honestly say that GWG has given me a power up!
