Because Games Matter - A Better Vision - Extra Credits

Sara Winters, born with ocular albinism, was legally blind for most of her early life. Game therapy helped her brain learn to make sense of the images processed by her eyes: it helped her to read, to find friends and community, and to build a life helping others. She shares her story with us Because Games Matter.
Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday!
bit.ly/SubToEC (---More below)
_________
Get your Extra Credits gear at the store! bit.ly/ExtraStore
Play games with us on Extra Play! bit.ly/WatchEXP
Watch more episodes from this season of Extra Credits! bit.ly/2xvDUdv
Contribute community subtitles to Extra Credits: / timedtext_cs_p. .
Talk to us on Twitter (@ExtraCreditz): bit.ly/ECTweet
Follow us on Facebook: bit.ly/ECFBPage
Get our list of recommended games on Steam: bit.ly/ECCurator
_________
Would you like James to speak at your school or organization? For info, contact us at: [e-mail]
_________
♪ Intro Music: "Penguin Cap" by CarboHydroM
bit.ly/1eIHTDS
♪ Outro Music: “Soothing Rain” by Amphibious
• Animal Crossing ReMix ...

[@darkdowngrade]

Bless that dude from Gamestop.

[@TheGallingIce]

He's the REAL mvp, seriously, I hope he's in a better place now. -Not dead, tho-

[@Crimson_Dale28]

Agreed. I guess the story would not have continued if it weren't for that dude. It is that one last strand of luck she had to call for hope and she did. That GameStop employee is the real MVP in her life. :)

[@AstolfoGayming]

Yeah, seriously, that's what I thought too. He went way above and beyond what he had to, in order to make a little girls day.

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

I hope he didn't get i too much trouble for it.

[@Tadokat]

The next day, he was found in his bedroom after suicide via 17 shots to the back of the head. Poor dude. :c

[@Houdini111]

That doctor and employee are real heroes.

[@chickensangwich97]

Seriously, that Gamestop employee might never know that this one "fuck the man, let's do this" moment gave a person her entire life.

[@hilkmeister1382]

Houdini111 yup and yup

[@thunderbird0134]

The only other things she had to get were the alkaline batteries and a new radio!

[@Aldowyn]

Or maybe he'll see this video ;)

[@Kyman102]

I hope to scroll through these comments, and see one comment that says "... Shit, I was that Gamestop employee! I'd forgotten about it until now!"

[@eldanx]

Someone give a medal to that doctor.

[@nicomoron001]

And also to the GameStop employee

[@GREENSP0RE]

Shadow May RNG bless them eternally.

[@user-bo6vy5eg8g]

@@nicomoron001 YUP

[@CrisMW98]

The legend says that every 1000 years a good GameStop employee borns

[@cobblestonecobbler]

Ciozun I'm afraid we've hit another dark age full of scratched dvds and screeching 8 year olds

[@lucasschigart2721]

well, i just met one yesterday... he is now my magic card dealer of choice

[@Azmodeus87]

Are you certain he isn't a planeswalker in disguise?

[@HyperChara]

Pity the Gamestop employees, they have metaphorical guns to their heads, held by corprate executives.

[@Karmy.]

Every GameStop employee I've ever met was awesome and super friendly and seemed like they loved their job

[@Delroglis]

This guy on the store, this guys is a hero without a name.

[@denishavail1773]

Not all heroes wear capes.

[@ZenoDLC]

Délcio Rogério Give that manager a medal, and post it on social medias if Gamestop tries to fire him because they found out about this, there will be a riot

[@legendarytat8278]

The doctor who said she needed to play games was

[@garfinator1]

Anyone else get a little teary eyed from this story? *wipes away tear*

[@pr0grammcsynth797]

Yeah, no, I'm sitting here rubbing my eyes dry.

[@Mirro18]

NO SOMEBODY PUT TEARS ON MY CHEEK :.)

[@alwaysfallingshort]

I'll admit it: Full out bawling.

[@pppppaaaaaccccchhh]

I'M NOT CRYING! YOU'RE CRYING!

[@Snowfireblues]

Star Fur I'm not crying *sniffle * it's liquid pride

[@extrahistory]

Sara Winters was legally blind. Video game therapy changed that. #BecauseGamesMatter

[@marshallr.8121]

Extra Credits holy sh*t this was amazing, can't wait for more

[@TreQ121]

I wept, as I was watching this video. This is exactly the stuff public has to see. Great job Extra credits, good life Sara Winters.

[@tammysilverwolf1085]

Man. . . .this was a wonderful video. Thank you.

[@Koniving]

Extra Credits this was a most enjoyable experience and a very touching story.

[@spritemon98]

this was a wonderful story to hear

[@KBABZ]

I'm the boyfriend mentioned at 6:08. We were at Disneyland when the video was uploaded! Thanks for filling up her inbox everyone! We were waiting in the lobby for Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. There wasn't time to mention it in the video, but R&C is both of our favourite franchises ever, and for Sara it's because of the mix of platforming and shooting that required accurate eyesight judgement that really helped improve her vision. Thus why she cosplays primarily as Ratchet, which she did with me at PSX this year (Day 2 was me as Nate and her as Elena).

[@sarawinters99]

Unfortunately I couldn't fit my whole life into five minutes! But yes, Ratchet is another big part of my life. Just don't tell Insomniac I've never actually beaten he original. :)

[@kian9777]

KBABZ I'm not even done reading your comment and I already know that your amazing... pretty strange huh?😂

[@KBABZ]

Kian Hosseinmardi Thank you! Having a legally blind partner is a unique challenge (constant asking of "can you see that?"), but I love playing spotter for her to pick out distant things when we're going places, which was done a lot when we were at Disneyland.

[@dave14647]

you got a cool girlfriend there

[@Cryros_sphere]

Lucky bastard...

[@kalechips078]

That GameStop employee was a total champ!

[@deahtwind]

man... that gamestop employee... that´s a real hero.

[@HxH2011DRA]

deahtwind Indeed

[@TheMRFIRE999]

now im not going to lie im a man a manly man at that, it takes quite a few things to make me cry but this story made me shed a tear

[@XatxiFly]

Mr.Fire Probably would do you good to lay aside the "manly man" stuff and feel more often.

[@Kraigon42]

I didn't expect to cry from an Extra Credits episode, but by God that was so touching.

[@hackermans]

Yeah I started crying when her vision improved.

[@onyxtay7246]

I was in between crying and laughing. With the Peter Parker moment, of being confused about how her sight was suddenly better without glasses.

[@alik2003]

"Games literally gave me vision" SEE MOM ITS GOOD FOR ME

[@bagandtag4391]

"So where's that thing we had on display???" "Uhm.. A... I ate it."

[@theomegapotato370]

"Well let's just wait for a couple of hour's till it come's from the other side".

[@JsUser]

I actually don't know how to explain what tih video made me feel. I have myopia -12, nystagmus, amblyopia and squint; I have had it the all over my life since I was born. I probably won't drive a car, on go to stadium or a jam; reading books is a hard thing and even playing videogames, I need a huge screen, and I often have to get close to a corner to see the radar, the life bar, the boss live bar, etc... even all this, I love videogames. I'll ever rememder this video, and I wanna thank you for make it. My dream is to be Game Dev, and I'll do, and you have support me. I love u guys. I'd like have more to say, but.. I don't. Thank you so mush.

[@GraphiteShores]

J's ...Keep being awesome. It is the one thing every single human being can be. And so far, you are hitting all the checkmarks of awesome.

[@jan7097]

+J's, I dont know what games you can play but if there is mods in it there is always a possability to scale up the ui. As mentioned above, keep being awesome!

[@JsUser]

Thank you guys!! Keep being awesome too!

[@ethanhamto2405]

J's if you ever need help with unity game development u can ask me

[@theeyehead3437]

This is a genuinely heart warming story, the kind of thing that makes me have faith in humanity, despite current events.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Videogames help both mind and body. Here's a story of both.

[@el_kks_4361]

KZbin University ergo, soul

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Sergio Carranza Soul?

[@el_kks_4361]

KZbin University Yeah, helping the mind and body, i claim is helping a human life, a human soul.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

Sergio Carranza I see.

[@toastom]

This was such a good story! That's CRAZY how she woke up and a switch flipped in her brain!

[@chaosDesigner9]

I... I don't really know what to say... I guess the only thing I can say is: I love this video. Kudos to Extra Credits for bringing this story to us, to Sarah for actually getting better and helping others do so, to her doctor for being freaking awesome and good at his job at the same time, and to the GameStop clerk for also being utterly awesome.

[@DedicatedDdos]

Very nice story, I always get riled up when people say "video games are pointless" or "They're a waste of time" by extent they're calling movies, books, art and all things merely created for enjoyment pointless, heck you could stretch that line as far back and say life in and of itself is pointless. I don't believe that, life is to be enjoyed, revelled in. The only point in life is to amuse yourself and share that amusement with others only doubles it, and games are one of the most if not the best way to do that. I have great hopes for the future, and the future of video games, and this story just struck that chord with me. Thanks for sharing!

[@DedicatedDdos]

I'd like to add to this, games have taught me a lot, for me the english I'm writing to the code I work on in my free time to the job I perform in IT everything happened and started because of games and no one will ever take that away and no one will ever demean it for me, and no one should ever tell you that games are a waste of time.

[@dariuscarter5758]

Hit me right in the feels

[@kaidrescher6321]

Some heroes don't use capes, just Gamestop uniforms

[@zodayn]

I have watched your show for years and heard you say ''Because games matter'' many times before. But eventhough I enjoy games and like the medium, I never really agreed with that phrase. I agreed that games are fun and certainly touching on some occasions and even a source of inspiration or a connection between people. I thought this made games valuable, but this argument applies to all of pop- or any kind of culture, not to game culture only. And if any cuture could do that, games wouldn't be remarkable. Games would just be fun but irrelivant, wouldn't be special, wouldn't matter. But this episode made things different to me and gladly so. I truely agree now as I see how they can make a difference when nothing else could. I am happy to finaly be able to value them as something more than plain fun, something that truely matters.

[@lytbulb808]

At least some people are learning this. I wish it wasn't only the gamers that did though. I hope that this is spread to other people across the world that think games are a "waist". If games are a waist, then music,art and movies are a waist. You can't say video games are not a art.

[@monkeywithocd]

I know someone who thinks all works of fiction are a waste of time. Some people will just never see the usefulness of things unless it's proved itself useful in their own lives. Still, I would love stories like this to get spread more, so that the people open to others' opinions can see the good games can do.

[@Hobojo153]

I think the original meaning of their use of the phrase was to say games can teach us a lot.

[@WickedMuis]

Lytbulb, just a little heads-up, to teach you the difference: waist is the area of your torso with the smallest circumference, the part of the human body below the ribs and above the hips, often narrower than the areas above and below. Waste is an act or instance of using or expending something carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose, or unwanted or unusable material, substances, or by-products.

[@lytbulb808]

Wicked Mouse Sorry for the typo, I don't have all day to comment, I had tons of homework. Don't be a grammar nazi.

[@Fabelaz]

Fuck me, I have tears in my eyes! That's so touching!

[@tornic531]

Watching this video reminded me of why I play games, why I'm working so hard to get into the industry, and Why I love them so much. Gaming quite literally saved my life. I have Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism that screws with my ability communicate and socialize like most people. Its made growing up in this world a very trying matter, but even more so when growing up in a broken home with parents screaming and yelling every night, the smell of alcohol and tobacco lingering around my mother at all times, she only knew how to speak in lies and constantly was accusing the rest of my family of something while trying to play the victim, teachers and classmates not understanding me and effectively shunning me from group activities or friends. Combine that with my condition and throw ADHD and Anxiety into the mix too and.... my world felt like it was constantly spinning. That's not even mentioning the constant fog of different medications as doctors just loved using me as their testing grounds since at the time Aspergers was basically unheard of. By middle school they had me on dosages to high than was even recommended for most adults... I remember, and this might sound stupid to some, but I remember contemplating suicide at age 7, the constant fighting and screaming, a lot of times those fights started because of me and my conditions, because my parents didn't know what was wrong with me or how to deal with any of it. It left me feeling like if I had just disappeared that maybe things would work out.... but it was a selfish desire to play games that stopped me from doing anything too severe. Any time I would want to attempt it the thought flashed through my mind "but then I'll never get to play the games that haven't been made yet". I have been playing games since I was about 3 or 4 years old. For me there was nothing too difficult to understand, I just take the blue hedgehog to the end of the map. Simple. Sitting down to play something like that allowed me for the first time to slow down, for the world to stop spinning and allowed me to focus. More than that it gave me a way to communicate with my parents. My father has always been the most level headed of the two and I still hold fond memories of playing Golden Axe,Streets of Rage, and Gauntlet Legends with him after he came home from work. It was the one time him and I could understand each other. That we could talk about the same thing. And even at school, playing text heavy games taught me to read faster than most of my classmates, and I learned to use the puzzle solving skills from games in my homework, and became a quick learner. I'm 23 now, I've been off my medication for 5 years. A junior college student of Computer Science working towards game development, my life is vastly different from where it once was. My mother and her lies are no longer in the picture, I'm much better at communicating my thoughts to people (but still bad at trying to meet people or make small talk). While not many I do have a few friends that I know I can depend on, who can depend on me, and every last one of them I've bonded with over gaming. My story might not be as awe inspiring as Sarah's, but I still feel as determined as ever. I want to make video games knowing that someday, they might help out another child in the same ways that they helped Sarah, Myself, and so many others in this world.

[@mariokartpete]

I have to say that is an excellent and inspiring story. Its funny because i have a slight bit of autism too, and i have to say that while video-games haven't played as much of a saving role in my life (still love them dearly though), they have helped me communicate better and they are just great stress relievers in general. I have heard that "games are time wasters" or "the games will hurt your vision" tropes before. While if you over play those might come ture, i think most people over look why games are incredibly good - they relieve stress, bring people together, and they overall increase your happiness. A good example of this for me is mario and team fortress two. Mario has some of the funnest games i have ever played, and tf2, with its hats, physics, and comedy, have just made them so enjoyable and always help when I am stressed. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@KBABZ]

High-five from a fellow Aspie!

[@Naixatloz]

Your story is pretty close to mine, just add abuse-related PTSD into the mix. When I was a kid, games helped me retreat from my troubled home life, even if just for a few hours at a time. And they were one of the only ways I knew how to connect with my peers. Like you, I would stave off suicidal thoughts by thinking of all the upcoming games I wouldn't be able to play if I killed myself. The past two years, I've been using narrative-heavy games as a way of processing and healing from my PTSD. I can find characters who've gone through similar experiences, and I can see them grow and become stronger than what hurt them. I figure that if they can do it, so can I, and I let their strength become mine.

[@kxam2]

Also have aspergers

[@ViRiXDreamcore]

As a legally blind person myself, I can totally understand the hardships she probably went through. I have optic nerve hypoplasia. Basically my eyes work, but my optic nerves are quite underdeveloped so glasses don't really do much for me. There are games even now that are hard to play because they are hard to see (most FPS's). I never let any of that stop me though. Yeah it looks pretty weird when I have to look SUPER close to the screen or when I have to use those big magnifiers to play handhelds, AND I'm not even that great at most games (aside from rhythm games like DJ Max), but I still have tons of fun and even stream occasionally. I got into game development and sound design so I can make games with really good sound design like the Triple A games have, but that completely blind people can enjoy. Welp that's the end of my... whatever this was. Great video.

[@JeY_k]

This story made me cry. At work. I'm happy you're doing this series, Extra Credits. I'll remember this for a long time.

[@JeY_k]

To kinda add to it, games have always been super important in my life, but I've always felt weird to say that making progress in a video game makes me feel like I did something productive. However, there was one post I saw from a friend that stressed that getting somewhere in a game was an accomplishment and was worth spending time on. I'll always remember reading it.

[@TheUnspokenKibbles]

I'm not crying. You're crying. (It's a lie. I'm crying. We're all crying.)

[@duanewegener1293]

as someone who is legally blind, I know first hand the struggles you have overcome and it warms my heart to hear of your improvement

[@thekiss2083]

Just a small touch: I'm really glad the artwork of Sara matched her real-life body type. It didn't call attention to itself or anything but it was there and I appreciate it. :-)

[@FeamT]

Really glad you took the chance to make this, and that Sara shared it. Beautiful story, and works extremely well in this format!

[@scanerang]

a new show called extra story? :D

[@henrikmunkmadsen3190]

Honestly, I think that might be a bit too... emotional for this channel. That said, I would love to see more of it, maybe on another channel.

[@Chessrook44]

Or, at the very least, maybe make it an annual thing. A way to ring out the old year and ring in the new year, at a time when people really do feel the love and such... around the holidays. I could see that.

[@Elias-xf3gw]

I would love to see it

[@dieterik203]

Chessrook44 I second that.

[@KibitzerBen]

Extra Feels

[@8bitzodiac]

This story was so touching. Especially the GameStop employee, he's the best.

[@HxH2011DRA]

That gamestop employee is freaking awesome man! Seriously I teared up a little there

[@ErraticMagics]

I think I'll share a bit... If I wasn't a pokemon and anime fan I would literally never go outside. Which is kind of ironic.. And video games in general were an escape from the domestic violence at home and bullying at school. Not to mention more mentally challenging than school at times.

[@PatFagan]

Always the best of quality from Extra Credits

[@docpepperclassic]

* actually crying * Thank you, Sarah, for sharing.

[@lazyguy79]

Seriously beautiful! I can't wait to see the next one.

[@bleuthoot]

Wait, since when has KZbin the Episode thing?

[@extrahistory]

+Sven Producties | bleuthoot KZbin Series is a fairly new feature we are trying out right now--basically, it's a more specific type of playlist. --Belinda

[@Xp1c3r]

Extra Credits it used to be tough to find all the episodes, now I can satisfy my extra needs!

[@DemRat]

They need one last thing: The ability to subscribe to them. It'd make _everything_ better.

[@b00marrows]

Thoroughly enjoyed that story, thank you Sara and thank you EC.

[@KeijoKango]

TAKE THAT, GAME-HATING PARENTS!

[@ShadowWolfRising]

i played JRPGs on the PS1 and PS3 since i was a very young child (inspired to play them by my older cousin playing Star Ocean 2.) I also have Autism. I also had a reading comprehension beyond that of most of my peers at school probably as a result of playing so many JRPGs.

[@WorldoftheLegends]

how does Autism, a """disorder""" that has a wide pool of symptoms affecting the person change anything when you don't explain what symptoms you're aware of having?

[@ShadowWolfRising]

WorldoftheLegends emphasis

[@WorldoftheLegends]

ShadowWolfRising ?

[@ShadowWolfRising]

WorldoftheLegends i dunno, i thought it might have been relevant.

[@WorldoftheLegends]

ShadowWolfRising still i'm curious what symptoms do you have?

[@garbagepal2191]

This video is the only thing so far to give me tears of joy...

[@deltax930]

I cried a little listening to that story.

[@nowhere6732]

The beauty of video games is the range of functions they have. The artistic medium (how I see it personally), a form of competition (Esports), a form of therapy (this video), an educational tool even, and still we have yet to discover their full potential to improve our lives.

[@BenPearson_kd7uiy]

This is an amazing story, one that I've never heard of. Thanks for sharing!

[@Christopher-eq1rn]

That made me tear up, that was incredibly touching. Thank you Sara

[@byrn]

Acts of kindness don't affect just one person. They multiply, by each person the helped one goes on to pass the favor to in turn. Thank you so much for sharing Sara - and thank you so much, random Gamestop manager as well as that pushy ophthalmologist!

[@phoenixolion]

My Mother has MS, and some of my greatest memories with her is when we would play various games together when I was a kid. She loved Wii Bowling. Nothing too trying on her ability, but simple and fun for her to enjoy, and helping her with her dexterity in her fingers. I love that gaming is becoming more that a simple 'child's toy'. Much love to you for sharing your story!

[@JustQuibbs]

More stories, more stories, more stories! You can teach classes, explain the information of the books and debate the current and past philosophy of games, but you cannot get more real than real life experience. This teared me up to hear that someone from experience bettered their life with video games. Thank you, keep it up!

[@David-kd4qr]

I came for the fun, I have stayed because of the feels.

[@ScottAndNumbers]

As much as it warms my heart hearing stories like this, I also just get that feeling of, "Man, must be nice when your passion and drive actually leads you where you want to go."

[@maisaranki6236]

I'm not really the kind of person to be moved very easily by either fiction or things I hear or see online. But... I have to admit, this video actually managed to get me close to tearing up. I don't know how, but it just did.. ;_;

[@manunub5380]

me too

[@adrienconverset6571]

giphy.com/gifs/city-san-francisco-HBNIVDCnw6eEE

[@michaelmiele5810]

Beautiful story. It's experiences like these that deserve to be shared with our community. Thanks for putting together a stellar episode!

[@Chirpysemperboy]

I don't know if this counts as a Because Games Matter Moment but, here we go: Community College was an odd time for me. I had moved, not once, but twice to a new city during the last year of my high school life. Naturally this means I had some people I liked, but none I could really call "close friends". In fact, besides one or two people in elementary school who had been drifting from me by the time I hit high school, I don't recall having any friends I could consider "close friends". In Community College, that was about to change. I had been playing video games for so long it had become my nature at this point, but that still didn't help me break out of my shell. Sure I was more social, but that was a front for my inner social anxiety. Then, one day, my community college had a game day. A day where people who wanted to play video games could bring their's and set up in a study room in the library and play. No previous experience or knowledge needed. I decided to attend because, hey why not. I did have alot of fun, but I was still in that shell I often found myself when I played, though people were congratulating me on good games and what have you. Eventually, I soon had to leave to go to class. Later, after class had let out, I decided to walk back by the study room and see if game day was still going on and, lo and behold, it was. However, it had calmed down somewhat. Instead of the sound effects of high-resolution video games ringing in the nearly soundproof study room, however, there was the sounds of cards, pencils, paper, and board game pieces. I saw a group playing, what I thought to be, Dungeons and Dragons in the corner of the room. I shrugged and decided to join them because I had always wanted to learn about the game but never had the opportunity To my luck, they were a Pathfinder gaming group (Pathfinder is sort of a basic Dungeons and Dragons). Unfortunately, they weren't playing it right now, but another game, called MAID, a different tabletop game that I completely recommend checking out. I asked if I could join in the game and they said sure but, for the time being I would have to take the place of one of the NPCs, who was sitting in a cell in the basement (long story how he got there). Thus began the tale of the Prisoner of Shame because I had nothing to my name but some leather pants. I eventually got to play Pathfinder and I love it today. But the most important thing is that in that group, while I got to know a few people, there were really only three people that I found I bonded with the more I met with them. Their names were Matt, Ian, and Chris, though we had a million other Chris' so we just call her Domo. In fact, we are still friends to this day and we joke around and have Game Nights whenever we can spare the time from our hectic schedules. Gaming may have been my escape, but tabletop gaming was my sanctuary. Thanks to tabletop gaming, I had finally found my "close friends" that I could talk to. As a side note: Domo, Matt, Ian, you guys are and always will be my best friends. You saved me from my time alone. Thank you. Sorry for the long post, but this is why games matter to me.

[@Bamboo_bazooka]

thinking about it whilst videogames themselves kinda help me with my autism (pretty much it was that i was painfully shy and kind of a loner) online play is what really helped because it was a place where whilst being safe i could interact with thousands if others and no one knew who i really was meaning there was no prejudice against me

[@Intrafacial86]

I shudder at the thought of a kid like Sara walking into a Game Stop today. "Sorry, I can't give you the display product . . . . . . . . . *_BUT IF YOU SIGN UP FOR OUR REWARDS PROGRAM_* . . ."

[@sarawinters99]

Intrafacial86 I earn enough now that if I want a console I can save for it myself.

[@sarawinters99]

Intrafacial86 also my current GS manager still gives me leftover promo items whenever he can. Man is a boss.

[@BologneyT]

I thought this WASN'T going to make my morning. I THOUGHT WRONG

[@setteplays]

Almost cried. GameStop dude, wherever you are, bless you.

[@TopHatLucario]

This story was amazing! Thank you for sharing your life story, Sarah Winters!

[@toatsmcgoats727]

wow that hits close to home. i have ocular albinism and it feels good to know that others have experienced similar things

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

When I got leukemia, games helped take my mind off of the many procedures I had to go through. My boyfriend got me a 3DS and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. My friend gave me a copy of Bravely Default. Of course, the 3D function made my eyes hurt (I had to get chemo injected into my spine to keep the leukemia from getting into my brain. I got chemobrain, which displays characteristics of Alzheimer's, but isn't Alzheimer's.) but the games helped me relax. My sister brought in her PS4 and we played Bloodborne. I died a lot, but I had fun and the Souls series became my favorite series. When I had my bone marrow transplant, the ward I was staying in had an X-Box 360 hooked up to the tv. I would play Just Dance to keep my strength up and Fallout 3. Games aren't a waste of time. They're therapeutic and they are a good distraction for people. They helped me recover.

[@6xten]

How are you doing now?

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

Captain Gibus I'm in remission.

[@6xten]

Great to hear! (In retrospect I should've guessed from the "they helped me recover" part... :P)

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

Captain Gibus They're very good as a distraction. I wasn't focused on the chemo or the pain, I was focused on the battles and catching Pokemon or obtaining all of the Asterisks.

[@6xten]

Yeah, I played a lot of video games during my depression, it really did help take my mind off things. It's a thing of beauty, this medium we have

[@tverdyznaqs]

I have a similar condition to Sarahs, and let me tell you, this video made me feel warm inside. thank you, guys!

[@thefrogger6507]

I feel so happy after this...Thanks guys. Really made my day

[@RAFMnBgaming]

This is pretty damn heartwarming, the level of kindness on display and the reminder of the ever continuing march of human ingenuity making things better for people with the increasing roster of tools at our disposal is satisfyingly reassuring.

[@Xanderqwerty123]

THE TEARS, MAKE THEM STOOOOP 😭😭😭

[@adrienconverset6571]

giphy.com/gifs/city-san-francisco-HBNIVDCnw6eEE

[@ish77.7]

I have albinism and thiis video just made me realize just how important videogames really are/were. Sara if you ever read this, you're a hero, and so are the people who helped you!

[@axon589]

This is one of the most moving video game stories. Thank you so much.

[@LogsBM]

I remember her at the pax panel this year! Such an inspiring story

[@kingofcowards1321]

"It has been a challenging year" *2020 cackling in the distance*

[@ChibiGeeBee]

Thank you. I've been suffering from some bad depression, and 2016 has been very very hard on me. I work in the games industry- I illustrate RPGs- and I really needed some hope. This was it, and it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you again. Thank you so, so much.

[@lancegrabow9432]

damnit extra credits! i wasn't expecting to cry

[@phendan]

That's genuinely heartwarming. Thank you for sharing.

[@isak_elof6987]

Such a great story! The only problem i have are those disliking the video... Makes me wonder, BUT i am truly glad that people like the doctor and the gamestop employee exist!

[@thewhitewolf58]

Isak Knutsen im actually surprised with the doctor i guess his kid played and he thought that could be some benefit

[@royal9743]

My theory is that she wasn't able to play outside without harming herself. He probably just thought: Her grades are good, she doesn't have many friends, let the kid enjoy herself."

[@finnthefrog4354]

why dont ya ask her she is somewhere in these comment section answering questions

[@daniellewasdelayed8921]

I think that it was to develop the skills that she normally wouldn't be able to because of her disabilities. In the Gamestop section, she mentions how she got Breakout for hand-eye coordination and Pokemon for reading. She also mentions how the games helped her students. Obviously, whatever the doctor did worked. It trained her brain to the point where her vision improved, and had allowed her to be higher functioning than what I'd assume the average person with these problems are.

[@Overhazard]

If you'd like my wild mass guess, I'd say most of the thumbs down were either trolls who thumb everything down anyway, people with a grudge against Extra Credits and will thumb down everything they make, or people who only want game analysis videos and will thumb down anything that isn't one. In other words, a thumbs down doesn't have to mean "I don't like this video," but can also mean "I don't want to see this video."

[@MitchBurns]

OMG. That is probably the most inspirational video game related story I have ever heard in my life. That is truly awesome!

[@Skjoldmc]

Who was that GameStop manager? It was Walpole!

[@animusrhq7077]

video games have helped me so much with depression and anxiety over the years. You're damn right Games do matter!

[@fejfo6559]

Games and videos about games thought me more English than school ever could. (Seriously I had French for 6 years 4 hours a week and English for 4 years 2 hours a week and my English is so so much better then my French) (But since I learned most of my English trough sound I can speak and understand it well but I can't spell at all)

[@fejfo6559]

ZipplyZane Well I used autocorrect about five times in that comment.

[@Panikdemet]

I hope Extra Credits will talk about this topic some day. There are countless gamers who learnt or improved a second language (usually English) through games.

[@prenomnom2253]

fejfo's games well now you should try to watch french videos and play games in French version ;)

[@fejfo6559]

prenom nom I tried, I hated it (and never found really good youtubers)

[@catherinecejda3309]

I just want to send out a big thanks to Sara and the Extra Credits team for sharing this story. I too was born with ocular albinism, though with nowhere near the severity that Sara has, and I'm always surprised when I hear another person's story with the disease since it is so rare. I had honestly never heard of game therapy being used in this way, but I'm so glad to hear about the benefits even if I can only attest to them anecdotally. Thanks again for sharing and take care.

[@jaypillsbury843]

I'M NOT CRYING. NOPE. DEFINITELY NOT. NO TEARS TO BE HAD HERE. MY EYES ARE LIKE DESERTS THEY'RE SO DRY. NOT. CRYING. Now, back to studying. Finals suck.

[@Trevormullerhegel]

Literally nearly at tears right now. This is incredible. Thank you for sharing your story Sara.

[@hans3000]

"2016 has been a trying year" 2020: *P A T H E T I C*

[@Markyroson]

Was just thinking that 🤣

[@lonelyheart949]

I think this is one of the few episodes that has touched me enough to make me cry. Thanks for sharing it.

[@bensomeone]

This is the perfect example of a benevolent world.

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

I remember reading a paper about games for the visually impaired. One technique was to design games that push you to practice using and identifying changes in your peripheral vision. Normally, people with normal vision advise the visually impaired to "look straight" at what they want to see. However, for many visually impaired people, their peripheral vision may be comparable to a normal person's peripheral vision; it's just that we neglect it because we become dependent on our central vision.

[@DanCreaMundos]

Really cool idea, I hope you keep doing videos like this, they're inspiring and give us some interesting points of view.

[@jackmagic8420]

Awesome story. I've heard a lot of things about how electronics can harm eyes (mostly at night) so it's great to hear a story about how they can improve vision to the point where it saves someone's quality of life.

[@grey9507]

here's a fact about myself the legend of zelda taught me how to read

[@Atlessa]

The Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening taught me english.

[@Yous0147]

It was Digimon World for me

[@erinwren465]

i became a voracious reader from playing animal crossing and often wonder how i would have turned out if i had not played it

[@colinjustice420]

It was final fantasy 9 that taught me.

[@whoplays7061]

Callum Brookes Pokémon helped me understand strategies that's what I'm good at chess check mate

[@mokana713]

This channel has a very positive effect on teaching the mechanics, design, and social impacts of video games. Thank you for your ongoing effort to produce informative and well thought-out videos.

[@willemvandebeek]

This is beautiful! :)

[@monkeywithocd]

Man, thanks for bringing these stories to light. It's stories like this that are a big part of why I have such a passion for videogames. I don't have any big and epic story of my own, but videogames have definitely touched my life for the better and I'm so glad to see it have even more profound effects on others.

[@Shimamon27]

That was beautiful actually. Games only served for me as a way to cope with reality... And come to think of it, they were my only friend as a child. They made me experience things, taught me English, and made me explore without moving much... I don't play much games anymore... But, they gave me the capability to need little in life, have no need for anything grand, and be satisfied easily. Because... I already explored everything through them. They were, my only reality.

[@destineerrush2632]

I also have ocular albinism and grew up around the same time, so this episode really hits home for me. Video games were one of the few things I could really participate in and I never stopped to think what a difference it may actually have made. My story isn't as interesting and isn't turning out quite as well as hers, but it's still heartening to see that things can get better.

[@CoffeeMuggee]

some ninjas sprinkled onions on my table again...

[@ranchdressing]

This is probably one of the most touching stories I ever heard. Like...seriously. I didn't even know, I wasn't even remotely AWARE that video games could be a form of visual therapy. I literally thought they were mostly for hand-eye coordination. Honestly, thank you. Thank you for sharing this story. This story also makes me sincerely wish that more and more adults knew that video games, in fact, are not a waste of time, and actually do things to improve, rather than hurt the body's performance and brain's cognitive skills, depending on what's being played. Shooters, for example, improve depth perception, or at least they improved mine as far as I can tell. Give us more stories like this if at all possible.

[@UnpronounceabIeName]

I'm looking forward to more of this!

[@dklk734]

I love stories like these. It shows how much video games improve people's lives instead of being time wasters.

[@ImVeryOriginal]

That was beautiful.

[@UndeadGirlCyber]

Oh my gosh that zoom in on her face at the game stop. what an amazing employee.

[@jubes1300]

0:00 "A pretty trying year", That aged well...

[@Lionstar16]

Like a fine red wine :)