Life has a way of coming full circle—especially when passion and purpose collide.
For Michael Forbes, that circle began in 1992, when he was just a boy struggling with exhaustion, endless doctor visits, and an illness no one could quite explain. One simple trip to the zoo with his mom changed everything.
“I remember telling her I was too tired to walk anymore,” Michael recalls. “We’d only been there a few minutes, but I just couldn’t keep going.”
When they got home, the answering machine was blinking. The doctor’s voice on the other end said the words no parent ever wants to hear: “We need you to take Michael to the hospital right away. We believe he has leukemia.”
That moment became the beginning of a long, difficult fight.
At the hospital, tests confirmed the diagnosis—acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a form of blood cancer that strikes children fast and hard. Months turned into years of chemotherapy, spinal taps, and long hospital stays. But amid the fear and exhaustion, Michael found an unexpected lifeline: video games.
“The hospital had this rolling game cart they would bring around with a few games on it,” he remembers. “One of them was M.C. Kids on Nintendo. It sounds simple, but it gave me something to look forward to. For those moments, I wasn’t a cancer patient—I was just a kid playing a game.”
There was also a Ms. Pac-Man arcade cabinet in the hallway. “I must have spent hours on that machine,” Michael laughs. “It became my escape—chasing ghosts instead of worrying about test results.”
Those games were more than entertainment. They were therapy—a way to distract from the pain, regain a sense of control, and spark joy in a place that often felt joyless. Today, science calls it “distraction therapy.” Back then, for Michael, it was survival.
After six years of treatment, at 16 years old, Michael finally rang the bell—cancer-free. “That sound echoed through the halls like victory,” he says. “It wasn’t just about surviving; it was about finally getting my life back.”
As the years passed, Michael built a career, started a family, and found new ways to give back. He volunteered for organizations like Camp Hope and Wine About Cancer—always drawn to helping kids and families facing what he once endured. But it wasn’t until recently that his journey came full circle.
“I discovered Games For Love through the gaming community and instantly felt connected,” Michael shares. “Their mission—to bring games and hope to kids in hospitals—was everything I’d experienced firsthand. It was like finding the grown-up version of the help I once needed.”
Founded in 2018 by Nathan Blair after his own son’s medical battle, Games For Love provides video games, technology, and support to children’s hospitals across 50 states and 11 countries. The goal is simple but powerful: to make hospital stays a little brighter, a little lighter, and a lot more hopeful.
Michael began as a supporter—sharing posts, spreading the word, and telling his story. That led to a conversation with Nathan, and soon, he became a trusted advisor to the organization.
Now, more than three decades after his own diagnosis, Michael helps ensure that kids fighting their own battles can find the same sense of joy and escape he once did.
“Every so often, I still walk the halls of the hospital where I was treated,” he says. “I half-expect to see that old Ms. Pac-Man machine. Maybe it’s still there, maybe not. But if one kid feels a little braver, a little stronger because of a game, that’s enough for me.”
“Michael Forbes is one of the first and most trusted advisors to the Games For Love charity. His expertise and personal experience bring such value to the decision-making process. Michael is both a friend and an invaluable resource to our organization.”
— Nathan Blair, CEO and Founder of Games For Love
“What Nathan and the incredible team at Games For Love are doing is nothing short of transformative—they’re turning pixels into hope, controllers into comfort, and games into gateways for healing.”
— Michael Forbes
Michael’s story is a reminder that healing doesn’t always come from medicine alone. Sometimes, it comes from laughter. From play. From connection.
At Games For Love, every donation helps fuel that mission—putting smiles on faces, hope in hearts, and the power of play in the hands of kids who need it most.
Join us in bringing hope and healing through play.
