Seattle, WA

Seattle Children's Hospital uses video games to help treat patients

Published

12 months ago

December 6, 2024

Seattle Children's Hospital uses video games to help treat patients

Seattle Children’s uses video games to help with cancer treatment

Seattle Children’s Hospital is turning to video games to help patients get through cancer treatment, offering accessible entertainment and a healthy distraction during an otherwise painful process.

SEATTLE – Seattle Children’s Hospital is turning to video games to help treat patients.

Hospital staff said it provides accessible entertainment for patients and a healthy distraction during the worst of their treatments.

FOX 13 Seattle met with a young patient, Aria McDonald, who says Mario Kart helped her through cancer.

“There’s a lot of low lows to go through, you know, there’s a lot of scary times,” said Patrick McDonald, Aria’s dad. “You just have to get through. We were getting through day to day.”

Like a lap around Mario Kart Stadium, this journey came with its own set of obstacles Aria had to push through.

“It was just depressing,” Aria said. “You just sit there, getting chemo, medications. You don’t feel good, and it’s just sad.”

“I was shocked — shocked was the first thing that came in,” Patrick said. “You never want to hear, you never even want to think that your child has cancer.”

For the last three years of her young life, Aria has been battling high-risk neuroblastoma.

“It starts as a tumor above the pituitary gland, and it spreads,” said Cecily McDonald, Aria’s mom. “So, with Aria — it had spread all over. It also causes fractures within some of your bones. It causes a lot of pain.”

At one point, Aria’s cancer treatment plan became so intense, she had a three-month stay at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

“We were able to get that tumor out and then chemo started repairing her bones and getting the tumors out of the fractures,” Cecily said. “It just really started shrinking all of that. When she had her bone marrow transplant, that was very intense but it got all of that out of her bone marrow.”

Between surgeries and high-potency medications, life in the hospital was taking a toll on Aria emotionally and mentally.

“The hardest part was not getting to interact as much as I used to,” Aria said.

“Often times, it’s yes, you do lose hope — and you are at a point where you can’t go another second, but you just remember there’s so many people cheering for her and supporting our family,” Cecily said.

In her final lap for the cup, the Seattle Children’s team introduced Aria to competitive video games in hopes of lifting her spirits.

“There was nothing really to do, so we just started gaming and setting up tournaments,” Aria said.

Aria would play with her nurses, her care team and just about anyone who was prepared to take on her signature Mario character of choice — Blue Shy Guy.

“It just changed everything,” Cecily said. “Even when she was getting these intensive therapies, she’s still playing.”

Instead of walking laps around the hospital wing, Aria was burning rubber underwater and in the sky.

“It was just so exciting to see her jump around the bed and be excited to play, just dance, and absolutely shellac people against the wall in Mario Kart,” said Maximillian Williams, therapeutic gaming specialist, Seattle Children’s Hospital.

At Seattle Children’s, the hospital has a dedicated department for therapeutic video games and technology for patient care.

“We have close to a million dollars in video game technology, easily,” Williams said. “We have a hundred consoles, I’d say live on the floors in carts, between outpatient and standalones and consoles to put in the units.”

So that even on their worst days, patients have something to look forward to.

“[Some of] these are huge, cinematic award-winning [games] — with a script, some with writing awards,” Williams said. “Really big, giant stories that you can sink your teeth into and go into this journey with this character.”

Before they knew it, Aria was pulling into first place, ready to cross her finish line to recovery.

In February, she rang the bell — signifying the completion of her cancer treatment. It’s Aria’s own version of a checkered flag at the end.

“It was really awesome, because I was done with all of the treatments,” Aria said.

“Her whole care team was there,” Patrick said. “And it’s just a feeling that she did it, and just thinking about all the people she had to go through to get there made it pretty special.”

Aria’s race doesn’t end here, she’s just getting started.

As of February, Aria is cancer-free.

She still goes to Seattle Children’s Hospital for a check-up every three months.

Aria is still a fierce competitor on the Mario Kart track, even taking part in online tournaments.

Seattle Children’s told FOX 13 Seattle they have more than a million dollars worth of video game equipment at the hospital. That’s thanks to partnerships they have with different organizations like Starlight Foundation and even Nintendo.

They have consoles and games for all ages to suit any child’s interests.

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Seattle, WA

3 numbers that matter as Seattle Seahawks’ JSN chases history

Published

9 hours ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

3 numbers that matter as Seattle Seahawks’ JSN chases history

For a second time this year, Seattle sports fans are watching a local player chase down an unbelievable record.

Record-chasing JSN could be NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver

This summer it was Cal Raleigh’s race to set a new record for home runs by a catcher. Then he smashed it and advanced to 60, becoming one of just seven players ever to do so.

This fall, Seattle Seahawks fans are watching as third-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn’t just chasing the NFL record for receiving yards in a season that’s stood for 13 years, but also has a chance to do something we’ve never seen before: 2,000 receiving yards in a single season.

Here are three numbers you need to know as JSN chases the record.

Your first number that matters is: 1,964

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way since you’ll be hearing it repeated frequently for the next six weeks.

Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson set the current record (1,964 yards) back in 2012. He became the first player to touch 1,900 yards in a season, and since then just one player has come close – current Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp, who had 1,947 for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.

Interestingly, a few players — including Smith-Njigba — have outpaced Johnson at this point in the season. Previous names have, obviously, failed to surpass him. But could JSN?

JSN has 1,313 yards right now, just a bit over the 1,257 yards Johnson had through Week 12. But not did Johnson set the record back when the season was just 16 games instead of 17, but his pace improved rapidly in the second half; he added nearly 500 yards between Week 8 and Week 12 alone.

Producing at a similar pace to JSN was Tyreek Hill in 2023, who hit the 1,324 mark at the same point in the season for Miami. Perhaps it was a nagging ankle injury in December, but Hill averaged under 100 yards in the final four games of the season and finished with 1,799 yards (seventh place all-time).

Your second number that matters is: 109

Now we’re just doing math. To break Johnson’s record by one yard, JSN would need to average 109 yards per game (108.6) in the final six weeks. Averaging 115 (687 yards for the next six games) would put him at 2,000.

Two of Seattle’s next six opponents are bottom-10 defenses against the pass this year: the 49ers, who rank 26th (240 passing yards allowed per game), and the Colts, who are 28th (245 passing yards allowed per game). They’re 11th and 12th, respectively, in fantasy points allowed to receivers.

Only one of the Seahawks’ remaining opponents is a top-10 defense against the pass: the Vikings, who they play Sunday.

Your third number that matters is: 1

This is less about JSN chasing history and more about one of the weird quirks with this specific bit of history.

Of the top 10 players in single-season receiving yards during the Super Bowl era, just one has made it to a Super Bowl (ironically, it’s JSN’s teammate Kupp). Johnson’s Lions finished 4-12. Julio Jones’ Falcons didn’t make the playoffs, nor did Isaac Bruce’s 1995 Rams (though both players would eventually make a Super Bowl with those teams).

The 8-3 Seahawks feel like a sure thing for the playoffs, but just how far could they get? Could Smith-Njigba, like his teammate, have the opportunity to chase history and a Lombardi in the same season?

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seahawks make a flurry of roster moves, including Quandre Diggs’ return
• Seahawks sign former Rams RB Cam Akers to active roster
• Rams swoop in to take CB Derion Kendrick from Seahawks
• Seahawks legend Earl Thomas named Pro Football HOF semifinalist
• Pass rush bounces back but Seattle Seahawks looking for more

Follow @stacyrost

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Seattle, WA

Dallas Stars beat Seattle Kraken 3-2 after late tie-breaker

Published

1 day ago

November 27, 2025

Press Room

Dallas Stars beat Seattle Kraken 3-2 after late tie-breaker

November 27, 2025 / 9:15 AM CST
/ AP

Dallas defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok broke a tie with 5:44 left with his first goal of the season to help the Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Wednesday night.

The right-handed shooting Kolyachonok beat goalie Joey Daccord with a long, low wrist shot from near the left boards.

Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell also scored for Dallas, and Casey DeSmith made 26 saves. Coming off an 8-3 victory Tuesday night in Edmonton, the Stars took seven of eight points on a four-game trip. At 15-5-4, they are second in the NHL, five points behind Colorado.

Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn scored for Seattle.

Daccord stopped 18 shots. He and the Kraken were coming off a 1-0 shootout loss at the New York Islanders on Sunday night.

Dunn tied it at 2 for Seattle 19 seconds into the third period.

Hintz opened the scoring at 5:52 of the first, and Montour tied it at 9:06. Lindell put Dallas back in front at 6:13 of the second.

Stars: Host Utah on Friday night.

Kraken: Host Edmonton on Saturday.

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Flurry of Seattle Seahawks roster moves includes Diggs return

Published

2 days ago

November 26, 2025

Press Room

Flurry of Seattle Seahawks roster moves includes Diggs return

The Seattle Seahawks made several roster moves on Wednesday, which included a pair of reported additions becoming official.

Record-chasing JSN could be NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver

Here’s a breakdown of what the Seahawks announced Wednesday.

Signed to active roster

• Running back Cam Akers

Akers comes to the Seahawks after being released on Saturday by the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle’s next opponent. For a full story on the Akers addition, click here.

Signed to practice squad

• Safety Quandre Diggs
• Running back Myles Gaskin
• Wide receiver Jimmy Holiday

The reunion with Diggs, who was a three-time Pro Bowler during a five-year tenure with the Seahawks from 2019-23, was reported Tuesday to be in the works. The Seahawks released Diggs after the 2023 season, and he signed with the Tennessee Titans in August 2024. Diggs was waived earlier this month by the Titans. Click here for more on Diggs’ return.

Gaskin, a Lynnwood native and O’Dea High School and UW Huskies product, returns to the Hawks practice squad after being cut last Thursday.

Holiday is an undrafted rookie from Lousiana Tech. He was released by the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.

Promoted from practice squad

• Cornerback Shaquill Griffin
• Linebacker Patrick O’Connell

Griffin, who was a Pro Bowler for Seattle in 2019, returned to the Seahawks for the first time since 2020 this offseason and has appeared in two games.

O’Connell has appeared in at least one game for the Seahawks in each of the past three seasons, including three games this year. The 26-year-old Montana product had nine tackles and a sack while playing a career-high 42 defensive snaps filling in during last Sunday’s win over the Titans, a game that both Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight missed due to injury.

Placed on injured reserve

• Linebacker Chazz Surratt

Surratt suffered an ankle injury on an early Seahawks kickoff return last Sunday and did not return to the game. A five-year NFL veteran, he has appeared in 11 games this season for Seattle.

Designated to return to practice

• Defensive end Rylie Mills

A 2025 fifth-round NFL Draft pick out of Notre Dame, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Mills has been on the non-football related injured reserve while recovering from a torn ACL he sustained during his senior season with the Fighting Irish.

Waived

• Cornerback Derion Kendrick

The 25-year-old Kendrick has appeared in 10 games for Seattle this year and has two interceptions and five passes defensed.

Kendrick has reportedly been claimed by the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams, reported NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Wednesday afternoon. The 8-3 Seahawks are one game behind the 9-2 Rams in the standings.

Released from practice squad

• Tackle Logan Brown

A 24-year-old product of Wisconsin and Kansas, the undrafted Brown has been with both the Seahawks and Cleveland Browns practice squads this year.

The Seahawks will host the Minnesota Vikings in a 1:05 p.m. game Sunday at Lumen Field. Radio coverage on Seattle Sports begin at 10 a.m. with the pregame show.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seahawks legend Earl Thomas named Pro Football HOF semifinalist
• Ex-Seahawks coach Jim Mora returning to Pac-12 with Colorado State
• Bump details how Seahawks RB Walker had his best game vs. Titans
• Status Report: Pass rush bounces back but Hawks looking for more
• Where the Seahawks would land if NFL playoffs started now

Follow @BrentStecker

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