‘I Was Never Alone’: How 300 Gamers Raised $1M to Save This Wife’s Life
Their gaming friends raised more than $1 million for cancer research—and reminded Jessica she wasn't alone
Key Takeaways
- A shocking triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis tested a couple’s resilience.
- A 300-member gaming community rallied together to raise over $1M for cancer research.
- Now nearly five years cancer-free, Jessica says community support saved her spirit.
When cancer threatened Jessica’s life, her husband’s gaming community rallied around them, raising more than $1 million for lifesaving research. Here, they share their story with Woman’s World.
A devastating breast cancer diagnosis
When the nurse led Jessica and Matt Conwell into a Portland, Oregon, consulting room, Matt spotted the box of tissues. “Bad news,” he predicted — and it was.
Jessica had triple-negative breast cancer.
Shaken, the couple began their research, but the more they read, the bleaker things looked. “We’ll get through this together, as we always do,” Matt promised.
The couple had attended the same graduate school — Jessica working toward her Ph.D. in psychology and Matt his M.B.A. They married in ’98, and Jessica started a private practice, while Matt turned a school project into the Portland Local Area Network (PDXLAN), centered on his video gaming community.
Matt hosted huge game-a-thon parties where 300 or more gamers battled one another from Thursday to Sunday evening, with late-night sleep breaks to recharge. Jessica was always there helping out.
“Conference mom,” the gamers called her, and they were devastated when Matt told them about her diagnosis.
Jessica’s treatment was grueling — a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation. She lost her hair and a quarter of her body weight.
Her mood bounced from hopeful to bleak, and so did Matt’s. But he tried hard to be Jessica’s rock.
For the past several years, the gamers had raised money for charities that support sick children and people experiencing homelessness.
How a video gaming community rallied behind a friend
But now, they wanted to redirect their generosity.
“You told us the new drugs are helping, so this session, we want to raise money to support more research,” the group announced to Matt.
The very next LAN party, a screen displayed a digital toteboard that ticked up with each new donation. Matt fought back tears as the numbers rose to a record $55,000!
The gamers’ support carried Matt through Jessica’s bout of sepsis, but she began a steady recovery. When she returned to the next game-a-thon, members surrounded her with cheers and hugs.
So far, the PDXLAN contributions have topped $1 million for cancer research.
Meanwhile, Jessica is closing in on five years cancer-free. “I never knew how many people were in my corner,” she says. “I was never alone.”
Matt agrees. “New treatments saved Jessica, but there’s still so much to be done. Maybe our contributions will help a scientist make that next life-saving breakthrough!”
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