It was 3 years ago today that my heart stopped working. Fittingly, I was playing a video game when it happened (despite Jack Thompson’s casual accusation that a lifetime of video games was the cause; it’s genetic actually). The game was Marvel Ultimate Alliance and during the heart attack I was smoking a cigarette (after 18 years of trying to quit, this did it – seriously, don’t start). See, it didn’t feel like a heart attack.

My wife had stomach flu and this felt like slowly growing severe Heartburn pain and it was on the opposite side. I didn’t have the classic heart attack symptoms (I gotta be me, apparently).

Incidentally, I’d gotten home from that year’s Penny-Arcade Expo days before. I delivered a one-man GamerDad panel and I filled in, last minute, for Hal Halpin’s ( of the Entertainment Consumer Association) speech on Politics and Gaming.

The night went from pain, to more pain, to waking Linda up, then the ER, then the ambulance to the heart hospital and then … a surgeon asking me if the music was okay (it was Funky Town and of course that was all right! Who wouldn’t want to die with Funky Town on?) then waking up in a nightmare of pain and confusion.

Horrible. The only good thing to come of it was when my good friend Simon posted what had happened and my wife’s words, the message caught the eye of “Gabe” at Penny-Arcade. He posted a simple message asking fans to help me and my family because of the work I do here. I had the unique pleasure of being in pain and shuffling to the Lounge computer on my mandatory “lets get him walking” walks. Each time, the number rose by small increments. The average was $11… but it added up big time.

Industry professionals (Disney even sent a care package for my kids)

You.

Gamers like You.

Pitched in and it made the horror of the experience, not to mention the psych damage to my family, easier to bear. It made coming back and working easier to do.

I’ll never forget that.  No matter what I’ve achieved, no matter what I do for gaming or for you or for your parents… you gave me back 100fold. The money was nice – the encouragement was healing.

Thanks again

Yours,

Andrew S. Bub, The GamerDad

Tags: State of the Heart