A Nintendo DS helped one eight-year old boy cope with the hospital stays and treatments resulting from a diagnosis that he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Now nine-years old, the plight of Genre Baker of North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania inspired the formation of the Genre’s Kids with Cancer Fund, which has the goal of outfitting similarly affected sick children at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh with their own handheld game systems to help them pass the time.
Genre, in a Pittsburgh Live story on his travails, said, “Whenever I was in the hospital, I had to stay there for hours and there was nothing to do but play my (Nintendo) DS. I wanted other kids to be able to have one, too, if they didn't.”
Neighboring Irwin, Pennsylvania will be the scene of a fund raising race/walk, called Footsteps in Faith, for the charity on August 28. Entrants can choose to participate in a 5k run or a one mile walk.
It was stated that “Genre's cancer has gone into remission, but his battle with cancer and treatment is far from over.” His treatment will continue until September of 2012 and he can’t be called cancer-free until remission has been in place for five years.
