Blizzard has teamed with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to bring a little light into the life of a 10-year-old boy with a brain tumor.
The diagnosis for Ezra Chatterton is not good, but despite his situation and the prospect of a long and potentially unpleasant regimen of treatment, the boy wanted only one thing – to be allowed to play World of Warcraft. Fortunately for Ezra, his father had an interest in the game as well, and the two were eventually able to begin enjoying the game together. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted them, he knew exactly what he wanted.
Faced with a time crunch, Blizzard reacted very quickly. Ezra and his father, Micah, were brought to Blizzard headquarters in Irvine, California, where he spent the day helping with the creation of a new flame-shooting crossbow as well as a character, a Tauren named Ahab Wheathoof. He also recorded voice-overs for the character, helped design a new quest, and was even able to insert his dog, Kyle, into the game. As a final touch, the team bumped Ezra’s character from level 63 to level 70, outfitting him with the best gear and piles of gold.
Ezra spent almost seven hours with the Blizzard team, and came away exhausted but thrilled. “If Blizzard is listening, I’d like to say thank you for everything you’ve done for my character to make him so good,” he said. “I want to thank them for making the quest of the lost dog and the Old Rancher and all the stuff they gave us.” Ezra began treatment for his tumor on Tuesday; Blizzard will incorporate his changes to the game within the next four weeks.
