“It’s a special friendship because of what we went through together.”
Adam and Rian became friends during their treatments. Adam was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013 at the age of 14, after doctors found a large tumour growing in his chest and into the right atrium of his heart. Rian was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, also at the age of 14.
Adam said: “We spent lots of time on the wards together and always understood what each other was going through. Sometimes we’d both be chatting, but at other times, one of us might not be feeling well and we’d just be gaming and did not have to talk.”
Now 21, Adam and Rian are both doing well, and their love of gaming - from FIFA to Call of Duty - has kept them in touch over lockdown. Adam said: “We’re still really good friends now. I’m at uni and Rian is working, but we stay in touch and have done some fundraising events together to help cancer charities. We can carry on gaming through streaming too – that has been handy during lockdown!”
Did you know that messing with your normal game-play could save lives? Whether you play Forza Horizon 4 driving only in reverse, or Ori and the Will of the Wisps using only projectiles, you can raise money that goes straight to game-changing cancer research.
