{"id":18397,"date":"2025-06-11T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=18397"},"modified":"2025-06-11T09:00:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T13:00:27","slug":"from-console-to-connection-tech-team-brings-joy-to-young-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/11\/from-console-to-connection-tech-team-brings-joy-to-young-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"From Console to Connection: Tech Team Brings Joy to Young Patients"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18397_07af49-52{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column18397_07af49-52 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18397_07af49-52 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>Students and faculty from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/technology\/indext.aspx\">College of Technology<\/a> are sharing their love for gaming with kids undergoing treatment at Nemours Children\u2019s Hospital\u2014and are finding more opportunities to connect with children facing health challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative began when <strong>Robert Passarelli<\/strong>, chair of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/technology\/animation-and-3d-curriculum.aspx\">Animation &amp; 3D <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/technology\/game-design-development.aspx\">Game Design and Development<\/a>, sought ways to enhance face-to-face experiences for students and faculty. He brainstormed with <strong>Scott Shaw<\/strong>, Nemours gaming and technology specialist and former Game Design chair at Wilmington University. Shaw is now an adjunct at WilmU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nemours introduced gaming to decrease boredom and anxiety in young patients. For the first visit, Passarelli was joined by <strong>Jordan Altiery<\/strong>, a student from WilmU\u2019s eSports team, and two adjuncts, <strong>Adam Campbell<\/strong> and <strong>Jeremy Bregermann<\/strong>. They soon learned there are multiple ways to interact with children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just video games. There\u2019s a full music room, an art room, and a craft room. It\u2019s a fun place where kids can get away from the challenges they are facing,\u201d Passarelli says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He is currently in discussions with Nemours on ways to expand the program, such as providing transportation for WilmU students to Nemours. The goal is a monthly two-hour visit to the children\u2019s hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an activity where students and faculty can help kids and get to know one another at the same time,\u201d Passarelli says. \u201cIt\u2019s outreach at its best.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014 Eileen Smith Dallabrida<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students and faculty from the College of Technology are sharing their love for gaming with kids undergoing treatment at Nemours Children\u2019s Hospital\u2014and are finding more&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":18398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1013,1014,1015,99,14,15],"class_list":["post-18397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-animation-3d-and-game-design","tag-b-s-in-animation-and-3d","tag-b-s-in-game-design-and-development","tag-college-of-technology","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"ACADEMIC NEWS"}],"post_tag":[{"value":1013,"label":"Animation &amp; 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