Genre Baker, 9, of Irwin, was diagnosed with leukemia at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC on Memorial Day of 2009. He quickly realized during his lengthy hospitalizations that video games and other distractions helped pass the time in the hospital. So he started Genre’s Kids with Cancer Fund to raise money for hand-held video game systems like Nintendo DS. Since then, he’s been working with the Child Life Department at the hospital to provide systems to all the cancer patients that pass through our doors. The gaming systems are provided to individual patients (not to the hospital) so patients can actually take the systems with them.

If you’re interested in reading more about Genre and his program, visit Genre’s Kids with Cancer Fund.