Rare is the day the media reports on anything good about gaming or gamers. Typically we’re the boogieman, the monster in the closet, or some Illuminati-like cabal with sinister intentions, but in a rare moment the mainstream media had something good to say about gamers.
On January 10th the story broke on BBC and on the 12th Sky News reported how one heroic gamer saved her friend’s life from 5,000 miles away.
Aidan Jackson living in the UK who has had a prior stroke was talking with his friend Dia Lathora from Texas when he started feeling a bit funny. Thinking he just needed to lie down for a bit, so he turned his microphone towards his bed and proceeded to go lay down. Half way to his bed Aidan collapsed to the floor having a full seizure.
“I just put my headset back on and I heard what I could only describe as a seizure, so obviously I started to get worried and immediately started asking what was going on and if he was OK.
“When he didn’t respond I instantly started to look up the emergency number for the EU. When that didn’t work I just had to hope the non-emergency would work, it had an option for talking to a real person…and I can’t tell you how quickly I clicked that button.” -BBC
Dia, after quick research, found an emergency service number and called the police to get Aidan help as no one in his home had realized what was happening upstairs.
“Hi, I’m calling from the US, I’m currently in a call with my friend. He had a seizure and he is not responding anymore.
“I do have his address and he lives in Widnes, Cheshire,” Ms Lethora said, before apologizing: “I’m sorry, I’m shaking.” –Sky News
Police and an ambulance rushed to his house where they rushed to the door and began knocking. When his parents opened the door the officers informed them they had received a call from about an unresponsive male at the residence.
“I assumed they were in the area for another reason and then they ran up to the front door. They said there was an unresponsive male at the address. We said we hadn’t called anyone and they said a call had come from America. I immediately went to check on Aidan and found him extremely disorientated.” -BBC
Paramedics were able to immediately begin providing Aidan with medical services as they took him to the hospital. It is important to remember that with strokes the longer before treatment begins the greater the possibility of permanent damage to occur. As medical professionals were able to get to Aidan so quickly he is reported to be doing better and to have thanked his friend over ten times for getting him help.
Stories like this are a welcomed change of pace from the usual hit pieces. It is nice focus on something heartwarming that shows the true spirit of gaming and gamers for a change, but it was probably only reported by larger media outlets because the person doing the saving was a female.
