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Geek Culture / What i've been doing...

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Oolite
19
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Joined: 28th Sep 2005
Location: Middle of the West
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 03:22 Edited at: 1st Aug 2011 03:26
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Hi everyone!

As you lot may know the last time I posted here my girlfriend and I were expecting our first baby.

Harry Samuel Biles was born at 3:58am on the 14th of June 2011.


Unfortunately, when he was two weeks old he was sent into hospital with breathing troubles, as the night progressed his blood pressure began to drop and the doctors suspected that it may be a heart condition. He was set to transfer to Birmingham Children's hospital as it's one of only a few places in the UK that has a specialist heart scanning machine for newborn babies, it is also only 8 miles away from the hospital we were at. Unfortunately the childrens hospital had no room to accommodate him and he was then set to move 80 miles away to Leicester. During this delay my sons condition got increasingly worse and soon after St Johns ambulance service arrived to transfer him, he passed away. Currently we still don't actually know what was wrong with him so we can't give any money to a deserving charity that looks after kids with his condition, instead we have been raising money for Birmingham Childrens Hospital, if they had the space to accommodate him that night then my son might still be alive to this day.

I have been doing many things to raise some money to help out the hospital, i've even shaved off my long hair that i've had for the past 12 years (so yes, I do look like my avatar now!) and i'm also creating a game that follows me and my partner through the entire amazing journey we had with our first son, all from the pregnancy right through to his death and our grieving process.
100% of everything I earn from that game (from the sponsor purchase through to the advert revenue is all going to the hospital)

Now down to why I'm here really, first off I'm looking to maximise the amount of money I can get from the game so i'm telling my story and promoting the game so that it gains a lot of attention and therefore earns a lot of money, but also if you feel like helping towards the cause I would be very grateful if you could donate whatever money you have spare in the old paypal account and help raise a bit more money for the hospital.





Thanks for reading if you got this far!

Adam.

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Insanity Complex
19
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Joined: 16th Sep 2005
Location: Home
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 03:59
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I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your son. Both of my nephews have heart/eye problems(recently determined to be connected when some minor heart issues began to appear in my older nephew), my younger nephew had to had open heart surgery just days after being born.

With how terrifying that in and of itself was, I can't even begin to imagine what you went through. This strikes a bit of a personal note for me, so I wish I could help financially, but in my current situation all I can really offer are my thoughts and condolences.

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RedneckRambo
18
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Joined: 19th Oct 2006
Location: Worst state in USA... California
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 04:26
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Reading something like this really just makes me feel miserable inside and I can't even imagine what this must feel like to you.

I will donate what little money I possibly can to you when I get the chance. I have posted my cheesey donation thing around other places on the internet, and if by chance I receive any more, I will donate everything to you in a heartbeat.

I'm so sorry to hear this and I wish the best of luck to you and everyone this has affected.

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MrValentine
AGK Backer
14
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Joined: 5th Dec 2010
Playing: FFVII
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 04:26
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This thread trualy signifies the diversity of this forum.

you have my deepest humble respects, I could reciplicate to some extent... but would rather not say.

I hope I could perhaps do some Charity work for this Hospital in future, we'll see...

A few years back I was going to do some charity bike escursions like across the UK and across Europe... but living in Manchester really brings reality down to earth... my pricey bike was... taken away from me... oh well all the best on my new venture.

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Hodgey
15
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Joined: 10th Oct 2009
Location: Australia
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 10:25
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I'm very sad to hear that your son passed away and I think you are doing a very generous thing by donating to the hospital.

Quote: "I'm looking to maximise the amount of money I can get from the game so i'm telling my story and promoting the game so that it gains a lot of attention"

Maybe the App Developer Group can help. We are still working on the website but we hope to allow users to promote their games soon. Feel free to look around and ask questions. I want your game to succeed because it is for a noble cause. I applaud your charity work Oolite.

P.S You and I have the same first name!

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Green Gandalf
VIP Member
20
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Joined: 3rd Jan 2005
Playing: Malevolence:Sword of Ahkranox, Skyrim, Civ6.
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 13:43 Edited at: 2nd Aug 2011 13:23
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Hi Oolite,

My wife and I were very saddened to hear your story and our thoughts are with you both at this difficult time.

Good luck with the game. I'll be watching out for it.

Edit Donated.
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Fuzz
18
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Joined: 14th Nov 2006
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 13:59
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Oolite, I donated $10. I know it's not much but I hope it helps.


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xplosys
19
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Joined: 5th Jan 2006
Playing: FPSC Multiplayer Games
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 16:13
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What a beautiful boy. I'm so sorry for your loss. I'd be happy to highlight your finished game/story and any purchase/donate links on ExploSoft.com when you're ready. Just let me know what I can do.

Brian.

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Grog Grueslayer
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19
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Joined: 30th May 2005
Playing: Green Hell
Posted: 1st Aug 2011 18:42
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I'm sorry for you loss also. I know it's not easy to loose somebody so close but know that you're not alone in your grief. Last year my wife passed away and the year before that my son.

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baxslash
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18
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Joined: 26th Dec 2006
Location: Duffield
Posted: 2nd Aug 2011 10:30
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I'm very sorry for your loss. I will donate some money too.

Hodgey has mentioned the AppUp Developers Group, we have a new site which promotes our games and has google ads which may in time make us a little money. I would like to show our support by donating a proportion of that money to this cause, although it may take a while before we generate much revenue.

Further to that I'd also be glad to either publish your game on AppUp or help you to set it up yourself, I would of course make sure you got all of the profit and ensure that this was fully traceable by you.

I hope that in this or some other way the ADG can help you.

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BatVink
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22
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 2nd Aug 2011 10:43
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I agree with Hodgey and BaxSlash, we can put your game on ADG when it's finished at the very least. And of course, let me know when it's ready for the newsletter.

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Oolite
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Joined: 28th Sep 2005
Location: Middle of the West
Posted: 2nd Aug 2011 18:03
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Thank you everyone for the kind words and thank you to everyone has donated so far(you know who you are).

I'm currently trying to spread the word through twitter so if everyone with a twitter account would be so kind to retweet my post then i'd be very grateful. I've been trying to get some of the bigwigs on twitter to retweet it but it appears they have all overlooked it.

I am thinking several things regarding this game, whether I sell it off to a sponsor and spread it around, or whether I charge people to own a copy. I'm still making my mind up but the ADG sounds like a good option. I was hoping to appeal to the kind hearts over at valve and try and get it up on steam. That seems like a bit of stretch but its worth a try. Either way its still in its planning stage so I have a few weeks before it is completed. I'll leave the donations links up until the game is done and then I shall hand it all in with the donations from the church and our fundraising efforts.
So far with all the hard work me and the family have been doing (shaving hair, doing sponsored walks/runs and fundraising events) we have just over 500. I'm hoping that any money I get from the game and the kind people that are donating that we get it to around £1000.
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Cormorant5
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Joined: 25th Jan 2010
Location: Gotham City
Posted: 2nd Aug 2011 19:37
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Give me a link to your account. I will retweet it, and I will happily donate. I know what it's like to feel empty but I have no idea what it is like to lose a child and my dad told me when I was young that I was the biggest thing in his life, and the fact that he was taken from you so early on must be so terrible. My stomach aches just thinking about it, and I will help in anyway I can.

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KeithC
Senior Moderator
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Joined: 27th Oct 2005
Location: Michigan
Posted: 2nd Aug 2011 19:59 Edited at: 2nd Aug 2011 19:59
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Adam; I'm extremely sorry to hear this has happened to you and your girlfriend. It made me sad just reading about it; though spreading the word about your child helps keep him alive, if only in memory. I don't know what I would do if I lost any of my kids. My condolences aren't enough, but you and your girlfriend have them.

-Keith

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Oolite
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Joined: 28th Sep 2005
Location: Middle of the West
Posted: 2nd Aug 2011 21:15
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http://twitter.com/#!/oldmanbiles

Woops, forgot the link.

Thanks for the kind words, it's getting better by the day but there isn't one that goes by that I don't feel like something is missing. I wanted nothing more in my life than to look after him and it hurts me that I can't.
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