The next time American Airlines tries to boot Alec Baldwin from a flight for playing Words with Friends, he may want to use this story as a defense. The Scrabble clone for iOS and Android may have played a part in saving someone’s life. Though it didn’t involve spelling instructions for CPR, a connection made through the game was nonetheless pivotal in helping someone to keep breathing.
Beth Legler of Blue Springs, MO, as been playing >Words with Friends for a couple of years. In the game, she met an Australian couple, Georgie and Simon Fletcher. While playing a recent game, Georgie mentioned to Beth that her husband wasn’t feeling well, and described some of his symptoms. As it turns out, Beth’s husband, Larry, is a doctor. He hopped in and immediately diagnosed Simon’s symptoms. Legler warned that this was nothing to mess around with — Simon needed to visit a doctor immediately.
Simon Fletcher had a 99 percent blockage near his heart. He took Legler’s advice, and went to a hospital. Today Simon is alive and well, but he is convinced that had it not been for the Leglers’ help he wouldn’t have made it. Simon’s wife says that he probably wouldn’t have bothered visiting a doctor without the warning.
Though this is the kind of story that evening news broadcasts will exploit for its sentimentality, we find it noteworthy that a casual online mobile game could play such a key role. A small device and an internet connection are all that people need to make life-changing (or, in this case, life-saving) connections on the other side of the world.
