The husband of Brittany Levasseur, Eric, has been through a lot. He has had seven brain surgeries in the last 11 months and the going hasn't been easy.
But that's where Bungie and Destiny come in. Levasseur, in a lengthy Reddit post, details her husband's surgeries and recovery, and talks about how her husband's neurologist actually recommended Eric play Destiny as a form of therapy. Her husband had wanted to play the game for months, but was unable to due to surgery.
"To my extreme surprise, his Neurologist told us that video games have been showing tremendous use as a PT tool for brain and memory damage," she writes. "He even brought Destiny up on his computer and after some speed reading he was all but jumping at the opportunity the game could pose for someone in my husbands position.
"Guardians, he was so happy," Levasseur continues. "One extra playstation in the house and he was good to go. I have been shocked how well he has taken to it. Once an avid cook, he was no longer able to navigate our kitchen-- but with Destiny, it was like a duck to water. He has always been exceptionally good at games, and it seems like that hadn't changed a bit."
And best of all, the game seems to be helping.
"It's been a little over a week, and the games effect on him has been so strong," she writes. "Weak for months, he is flourishing in more than just the game world. He has been going out more, doing chores, making jokes. The effect of playing the game on his mood has been almost staggering."
There are still plenty of challenges. Levasseur says raiding is difficult for her husband, as he struggles to communicate with strangers and finds long play sessions exhausting. But for 10 days in, the results are promising.
It didn't take long for Bungie to catch word of Levasseur's story. Bungie community manager Deej and the rest of the Bungie crew sent Eric a very special care package in the mail. That care package included none other than Fate of All Fools, an exotic scout rifle that is currently unobtainable in the game, making Eric the sole owner of the weapon outside of Bungie employees. Levasseur tells Kotaku her husband absolutely adores the weapon.
Better yet, Levasseur's original Reddit post is filled with PSN users offering to raid and play with Eric on his road to recovery. No doubt Eric will remember Bungie's heartfelt gesture and the support of the Destiny community for the rest of his life.
Photo: Bungie
