Turning Gaming into Purpose through Extra Life

In the basement of Christina and Paul Anderson’s Valparaiso home is every game one could desire. From board games to card games, from role-playing games to, of course, video games, the Andersons have it all. Shelves line the basement walls, packed with their collection — 275 board games and 730 video games spanning every major console system since 1985. In the middle sits a custom wood table built by Paul and a friend.

The Andersons have opened their home each November since 2019 for their annual Day of Gaming for Extra Life, a fundraising program of Children’s Miracle Network. Extra Life fundraises year-round to help children treated at local hospital systems, including Riley Children’s Health. The Andersons’ all-day extravaganza begins in the morning with donuts and stretches late into the night, fueled by pizzas fired in the garage and a full spread of snacks.

In October 2023, four years after they started fundraising and just weeks away from their event, everything changed. Christina was diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma — breast cancer. She was 28 weeks pregnant with the couple’s third child.

Christina underwent a double mastectomy at IU Health North Hospital five weeks later. The Andersons made arrangements for their children, Korben and Dax, packed an overnight bag, and made the trip to Carmel. They planned to deliver their son, Nolan, four weeks after the surgery.

It was really important to me to go to an academic health center. To be pregnant and diagnosed with breast cancer felt very complex,” said Christina. “I wanted to ensure I received care somewhere that was experienced with complex cases and had been through this situation before.”

Folasade Imeokparia, MD, breast surgeon at IU Health, successfully completed Christina’s double mastectomy. However, as Christina began to wake up from surgery, Nolan’s heart rate began to drop. She was immediately put back under anesthesia for an emergency C-section. Shortly after, baby Nolan was born at just 33 weeks on Nov. 8, 2023.

He was immediately taken to the Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) where Riley neonatologists and nurses cared for him.

“Christina’s surgery required attention to mindful anesthesia, intraoperative fetal monitoring and coordination to limit the surgical length,” said Dr. Imeokparia. “We had a wonderful OBGYN team, experienced OR staff, a stellar anesthesiologist and expert NICU caregivers who made the outcome ideal in a tough scenario. We are proud that our work together provided Christina and Nolan the ability to reunite as a family."

Nolan spent a full month in the NICU. Through it all, his parents rarely left his side. Family members drove the Andersons’ two older boys back and forth from Carmel to Valparaiso, maintaining some sense of normalcy with preschool and activities.

Thanksgiving was spent in Carmel with Nolan, and one of the nurses brought the Andersons a Thanksgiving pie. Christina and Paul were intentional about keeping the magic of Christmas alive for their two older children. During Nolan’s 31-day stay in the NICU, Christina only left Carmel one time to uphold their family tradition of choosing a real tree to take home the day after Thanksgiving.

Nolan went home just in time for his first Christmas. The Andersons say it was a bit overwhelming to take tiny baby Nolan home, especially knowing Christina would need to go full force into treatment for breast cancer. However, they were thankful to be home and together for the holidays.

Despite the circumstances, the Andersons praise the experience and care they received. They formed lifelong bonds with the OB and Riley NICU caregivers, staying in touch with many of them to this day.

In the two years since Nolan was born prematurely, the Andersons have been one of the top donors in Indiana for Riley Children’s Foundation through Extra Life. For the Andersons, that impact is deeply personal. The care Nolan received, from advanced neonatal support to the expertise of Riley specialists, is made possible in part by community-driven fundraising efforts. Through their annual Day of Gaming, they’re helping ensure other families receive that same level of care when they need it most.

“We are proud to partner with Extra Life, focusing our efforts on the Riley Children's Foundation,” said Christina and Paul. “We absolutely love that Extra Life allows us to blend our passion for gaming with the critical mission of raising money for children in need. Our annual event is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all of the amazing doctors and nurses at Riley.”

Now a thriving 2-year-old, Nolan is growing and developing well. He spends his days keeping up with his two older brothers and copying everything they do. After surgery, 30 rounds of radiation and six rounds of chemo, Christina is in remission and continues to visit the IU Health Joe and Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center twice a year for follow-up appointments.