Meet Hudson, Seattle Extra Life Champion

Like many 10-year-olds, Hudson Lewis loves to play video games, listen to music, swim and hang out with friends and family. But unlike most kids his age, his childhood has been filled with challenges no child should have to experience. Hudson was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy known to affect heart function but didn’t experience any cardiac affects until he was 9 years old. When his parents took him to Seattle Children’s after Hudson experienced difficulty walking, severe stomach pain, dizzy spells, vomiting and even hallucinations, doctors determined that he was in heart failure. Hudson ended up staying in the hospital for 100 days under the care of a cardiology team in Seattle Children’s Heart Center, where patients are cared for by the most experienced pediatric cardiologists and heart surgeons in the Pacific Northwest. During his difficult days, it was the Therapeutic Gaming team at Seattle Children’s who gave Hudson the most comfort, offering him motivation and distraction through video games.

“We tried a lot of different therapies to manage Hudson’s pain and get him moving, and gaming therapy was the best thing he responded to,” shared Hudson’s dad Travis.

Child’s Play provided funding to establish the Therapeutic Gaming program at Seattle Children’s and it continues to make a big impact on kids like Hudson, who hopes to become a YouTuber when he grows up.

Gamers like you can help more kids in the hospital navigate through their treatments by joining Extra Life and fundraising for Seattle Children’s. Learn more at www.extra-life.org.