Earlier this year, my co-therapist Boo had to have an emergency surgery at Mass Vet Referral Hospital. She came through it with flying colors, but I was reminded of how important hospitals are every day, even though I may not use one every day. And then on Marathon Monday, Boston citizens and the world received an painful reminder that hospitals are called on to do extraordinary things every day, often with not enough resources to do them.
This year, as in year’s past, Team Boo will be participating in Extra Life. What is it?
“On an Autumn Saturday each year since 2008, tens of thousands of gamers have joined together to save the lives of local kids in a celebration of gaming culture that we call Extra Life. From console games to tabletop RPG’s to even lawn sports, Extra Life gives people that love to play a chance to do what they love to save lives and make a difference. To participate you need only sign up (free) and gather the support of your friends and family through tax-deductible donations to your local CMN Hospital. Then on Saturday, November 2nd (or any day that works for you!) play any game(s) you want on any platform(s) that you want with anyone you want for as long as you want.”
(http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=512)
As always, Team Boo will be gaming close to home, for Boston Children’s Hospital. Each year, BCH has approximately 25,000 inpatient admissions each year and their outpatient clinics schedule 557,000 visits annually. Last year the hospital performed more than 26,500 surgical procedures and 158,700 radiological examinations. That’s a lot of kids!
If you read this blog with any regularity you know that I believe that anyone can have a good idea and change the world. Few people would argue that hospitals and a public infrastructure for health care are not good ideas. But we live in a world where ideas alone won’t always save us, and Extra Life gives you and I an opportunity to raise awareness and money for that.
So please consider joining Team Boo as we game on tomorrow to raise money for Children’s Hospital in Boston, or the Children’s Health Network nationwide. If you want to donate you can do that here. And even if you can’t do either, please pass this post along to amplify the idea. Because you never know when you or someone you love will need a hospital, but we do know that every day many kids do.
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