“Gaming has been my escape,” said Wes. “When I’m playing, I’m not thinking about IVs or treatments. Instead, I’m exploring new worlds.”
For a teen like Wes, who was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and has spent his entire life fighting for every heartbeat, moments of escape become a lifeline. Now in heart failure, Wes requires around-the-clock medication and has been waiting three long years for a heart transplant.
Long stays, endless treatments, and the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings have kept him from experiences many teens take for granted — hanging out with friends, playing sports, or celebrating milestones. But when Wes picks up a controller, he steps into a world where he’s just a kid.
“Wes uses gaming to distract himself from painful procedures and to pass time in hospital,” shared Wes’ mom, Jennah. “He can still communicate and socialize with friends and family from anywhere he has access to a gaming system.”
On his birthday spent in hospital, a Starlight Handheld arrive in his room to keep him company. For weeks afterwards, Wes couldn’t stop talking about it. “When we would drive past the hospital, he would say, ‘That’s where I go and play Mario!’ instead of associating it with fear and pain,” said Jennah.
Outside of the hospital walls, Wes and his family treasure visits to their local EB Games, discovering new games together — enjoying moments of normalcy in a world that often feels anything but ordinary.
Understanding the power of gaming, EB Games invited Starlight kids and teens like Wes for special in-store shopping spree. It gave them the chance to cross things off their holiday wish list early — a joyful escape from the challenges they face every day.
This holiday season, EB Games is teaming up with Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada to bring that same adventure to hospitalized kids across the country. Until December 31, you can give your used games, consoles, or gear a second life — and EB Games will donate 10% of your total trade value to Starlight Canada.
Trading in is a win for everyone! Earn credit and bonus EDGE points — get up to $50 for select games, up to $400 for select consoles, or other trade-in values — and use your credit towards the perfect holiday present. Best of all, your trade helps fund brand new Starlight Gaming Systems in children’s hospitals across your community while helping the planet.
“It means the world for kids to be able to have access to these gaming systems,” said Jennah. “Kids can play interactive games, pass the time, and distract themselves from the often painful and lonely experience of admissions.”
Your trade-in at EB Games helps seriously ill children and teens like Wes escape their medical worries, turning scary hospital stays into moments of play.