Re-Mission

Re-Mission

A screenshot from the game

                Here at Family House we recently got a donation that we can’t wait to share with our guests and anyone else who may have children battling cancer. It started with HopeLab (visit www.hopelab.org for more information), a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and their mission to combine the highest standards of scientific research with innovative solutions to improve the health and quality of life of young people with chronic illness. They then developed a wonderful video game called Re-Mission (visit www.re-mission.net ) in which kids assume the role of Roxxi—an armed nanobot who works through various missions to battle colonies of microscopic cancer cells and save the healthy organs.  

This game focuses on helping the issue of medication adherence, which is a complex problem for teens and adolescents with cancer. They typically have numerous prescriptions that change frequently and have quite toxic adverse effects. These young people need intense support to help make medication adherence a priority. In the randomized trial, patients who played Re-Mission were more likely to adhere to their oral medications. Not only did they enjoy the game, but their improved adherence may possibly lead to improvements in overall health.

Re-Mission is a fun video game for kids and it can be a welcome distraction from the side effects of the disease and the medication that treats it.  It is also a helpful learning tool for children who may not understand cancer and its effects on the body. Moreover, Re-Mission empowers siblings. It provides a way for them to learn and understand cancer and treatment in their time and on their terms. Re-Mission provides a way for kids with cancer and their sibling to join together in the fight against cancer – and begin to talk about cancer.

We are excited to share this fun, educational, empowering game with our Family House adolescents and teens, and hopefully it can make a difference both in medication adherence as well as their understanding of the disease. For our families that are back home, or for anyone at all who might find this a useful tool, you can simply visit the website and download or order copies of the video game for free. We’d love to hear feedback on what families think of the game!