Hi, I'm Luke, and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to view our project.

Before I go into detail about the project, I'd first like to tell you our story, to help explain why we are doing this.

On the 8th June 2009, my wife Jaye and I were going about our lives as usual. I was working, and in the middle of University exams. Jaye, who was 27 weeks pregnant, was holding down the fort at home, caring for our two boys. Little did we know that our entire world was about to be turned upside down.

The next day, Jaye was rushed to hospital with complications.

What had seemed like a relatively straight forward pregnancy had taken an unforeseen turn for the worst, and my unborn son was given just days to survive. The doctors advised that an emergency delivery was required, and our son was given a 50% chance of survival, and 80% chance of severe disability.

Our world was falling apart, and there was nothing we could do but hope for the best, and leave our unborn son's fate in the hands of the doctors and nurses.


Cooper was born on the 12th of June, 2009, weighing a tiny 800 grams. He was grossly undeveloped; His lungs didn't function on their own; His eyes were sealed shut, and his skin was transparent.

As you can imagine, we were terrified.

After Jaye's cesarean, she wasn't able to see her newborn baby until the next day. Even then, we weren't able to touch him, only peer at him through the glass.

On Day 5, Cooper was finally able to have 'skin-to-skin' time, and Mum had her first cuddle. However, that didn't soften the heartache she would suffer, when she was discharged, and had to leave the hospital without her baby.


For the next three months, Cooper would live in the special care nursery, where he was fed through tubes, and provided oxygen via a breathing apparatus.

With Cooper's two older brothers at home, me studying full time and working to pay the mortgage, and Jaye recovering from a cesarean, we juggled a hectic schedule so that every spare minute we had was spent at Cooper's side. Jaye and I would take shifts- she would visit in the morning, and I'd visit at night. When we weren't at the hospital, the phone was our lifeline, with constant updates from the nurses, advising how he was progressing.

Every day came with new challenges. Cooper needed to gain weight, he needed to breath on his own, and he needed to gain strength.

Our little fighter was struggling, enduring a heart infection, requiring a lumbar puncture and, eventually, a blood transfusion.

However, when Cooper had good days, and achieved milestones, we celebrated. And bit by bit, Cooper's health began to improve.


After two weeks he was able to wear a little shirt (a small victory, but it was a big achievement for us!) made from the pattern of doll's clothes.


After four weeks, he finally gained weight, and hit his 1kg milestone. As Jaye and I walked through the doors of the intensive care nursery, we were greeted by nurses and a big cake, with the words '1KG Today!' written across the top.

After six weeks, Cooper's oxygen came off!


However, his lungs weren't strong enough, and shortly after it went back on...

After 8 weeks, Cooper finally moved out of his humidity crib, into an open cot.

He moved from intensive care unit, to the high dependency unit, and was finally able to have a bath...


He started to suckle, and was able to be bottle fed.


Almost three months passed, and the big day had come. Cooper was breathing without oxygen, had (almost) hit 2kg, and was finally able to come home.


Today, Cooper is a very happy child. However, the journey has not been an easy one.

Cooper has spent a significant amount of time in hospitals and with specialists. He's undergone surgery for grommets, and was diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss at 12 months of age, requiring bilateral hearing aids. His hearing loss has resulted in delayed speech and language development, in addition to his general developmental delay.

Last year, Cooper was diagnosed with a brain bleed, which resulted in spastic diplegia- a form of cerebral palsy.

His range of disabilities requires significant attention and, as a result, he has a speech pathologist, continence specialist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and specialist pediatricians, amongst others.


This is Cooper today. He has just completed pre-primary, and will be starting year 1 this year. He loves dinosaurs and the incredible Hulk.

You might be wondering why I have shared this story.

Jaye and I have been given a gift, which we will never be able to repay.  Cooper would not have survived, nor would he have the vastly improved quality of life he has, without the help and support of the amazing doctors, nurses and various medical professionals we have encountered along the way.

Cooper's story is one of many. Every day premature babies are born, and every day children are admitted to hospital due to accidents, illness or disease. We are fortunate enough to have access to high quality, accessible health care, and we want to keep it that way.

Unfortunately, Jaye and I don't have access to millions of dollars, which we would happily donate to various hospitals and medical research foundations.

Instead, we have decided to take a different approach and, in March, 2015, we will be launching a Children's Hospital Charity Fundraiser, with all proceeds towards the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.


The Charity Fundraiser, titled Game4Life, is a new website (www.game4life.org.au) aimed at bringing people together through games (video games, board and card games etc.). The concept is based upon the trialled and tested framework implemented by successful international charity fundraisers, such as Extra Life, which raised $3.9 million in 2013 for Children's Miracle Network hospitals in the United States.

The website, which has been developed and is in the final stages of testing, is the first of its kind in Australia. Community members (like you!) will be encouraged to register, creating a unique profile, which will enable you to register for events, to participate in, and raise money through sponsorship by friends, family, colleagues, or complete strangers!



In 2015, we will be holding our first annual 24 hour gaming marathon, where all participants will play games to raise money.

We have already put in a significant amount of time and money into the project. However, we've been funding the project with our personal funds, and have not had any additional financial support. 

To help us develop awareness, and ensure the project takes off, we are looking to raise approximately $1500 to help with license fees for online tools, hosting and marketing materials.

Thank you, and please feel free to contact me for any additional information.

FAQ

***Update*** What IS Game 4 Life, and how does it work?

We are currently looking to raise approximately $1500 to help launch Game4Life. The funds will help with:

*Approximately $200 for annual license fees for additional 3rd party website tools
*Approximately $400 for development of additional website features, including gamification to promote user participation through an achievement and leader board system, with integration with social networking websites, such as Facebook, Google%20 and Twitter.
*Approximately $400 for registration setup and costs for the 2015 Perth Supanova Convention, to help spread the word and gain additional support. These costs include registration for a booth, as well as power hire.
*Approximately $400 for Marketing materials, including posters and fliers, which will be distributed to businesses (including play gyms, video game retailers, child care centers and hobby stores, and also distributed at the 2015 Perth Supanova Convention.

If we are able to achieve additional financial backing, we will also be looking at expanding our presence at Perth Supanova, to include a Twitch live stream of the event, and game station for event participants to play in an event-long game-athon.

Please note that additional financial support, after the goal has been achieve, will be contributed to the fundraising pool.

We have refined the scope significantly from the original concept, and plan on working closely with seasoned professionals and organisations to aid with a successful launch of Game4Life.

While we encourage gamers from all over the world to participate, all proceeds will go to the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, in Western Australia.

After 12 months of operation, we will be looking to apply for an individual charity license, so that we may begin supporting children's hospitals and medical research Australia wide.

By restricting the initial scope, we're projecting a successful launch, which will potentially see the Game4Life project grow over the coming years.