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On August 20th, the Children’s Hospital of the Ghent University Hospital received some famous guests. To conclude the charity project ‘Gaming4Life’, the two Nintendo brothers took some time off to visit children who aren’t feeling that well. Read more about this heartwarming visit inside.
Gaming4Life was created during the second edition of GameLand in September 2012. The initiative was created by Steven Leunens, organizer of GameLand and Charlotte Van Brabander, famous gamer/Pokerstar. Gaming4Life was created to raise some funds to support Children’s Hospital in Belgium. The Ghent University Hospital was the first one to receive some well-earned extra budget.
Thanks to Gaming4Life the Children’s Hospital was able to install 22 brand-new Wii U systems and several games in some of the rooms. This way, children who have to stay in the hospital for a long time can get some deserved distraction. Using the Wii U systems, the hospital gives the children some opportunity to relax and forget all the worries they have to face each and every day. Needless to say, the children are very pleased with their console.
But that’s not the only reason why the Wii U was chosen. The Wii U can also be used to help out children with movement restrictions in a fun way as part of their rehabilitation. Aside from the Wii U system the hospital was also decorated with several Nintendo-themed wall decals. Going to the doctor isn’t that hard when Mario, Luigi or Peach are watching over you.
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The children in the hospital came to love the Nintendo characters as they see them a lot during their stay. To conclude the Gaming4Life project, Mario & Luigi brought a visit to the hospital and met some of the patients. When the children took note of Mario & Luigi walking in the hallway, their whole world just got a little brighter.
Children in the playroom gathered spontaneously around the two superstars, shaking hands, handing over drawings and of course cuddle the two brothers. The faces of all children in the room lightened up and the atmosphere in the room just changed. The children forgot their problems, small or big, and just enjoyed that precious time with their idols. Not all children were able to join this amazing meet and greet downstairs in the playroom. Some of the children inside the hospital are obligated to stay in their room to recover.
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Mario & Luigi already faced a lot of challenges in their games, so going upstairs to meet those children in their room wasn’t a problem at all. After the playroom both brothers went upstairs and entered the rooms of the patients. In those rooms, the same magic happened. All children forgot about their condition and just enjoyed the attention and personal time with their idols. Mario & Luigi had a great time in every single room and even saw a glimpse of their famous video games in action thanks to the Wii U systems.
All in all we can conclude that the Gaming4Life charity was a great success. Not only did the Ghent University Hospital receive 10.000 Euro for new developments, the children had the time of their life. Seeing all those happy faces in a place where tears are more common than smiles is just heartwarming. Thanks to Gaming4Life and Nintendo, the children experienced a day they’ll never forget and will talk about for a long time to come.
