Stroke Victim Reports Partial Recovery Playing Second Life

Not too long ago, someone who works at Linden Lab (I'll call her Leah) happened to meet a bright and energetic woman at a party. As they chatted, it came out that Leigh is a Linden staffer -- and in fact, used to provide in-world Second Life support (that's her avatar pictured here). And when the woman learned that, she proceeded to tell an amazing story:

"About 8 years ago, she had a series of small strokes," Leah recalls, "which caused her to lose oxygen to her brain and to be medically dead for a short time before being revived. That resulted in permanent brain damage, with a range of symptoms from intermittent poor fine-motor coordination to forgetfulness to slurred or incoherent speech."

As you'd imagine, this was devastating to the woman.

"She became rather socially isolated, because she couldn't work or drive," Leah goes on. "But one of her friends encouraged her to join Second Life and chat with him there when they couldn't meet in person."

And this is what happened after the woman began playing in Second Life:

"[L]earning how to walk and talk and fly and build as a new avatar had a major positive impact on her physical and mental recovery," says Leah, "and that being able to connect to others socially improved her emotional state a great deal. It took her much longer than most new residents to make these tools work, but they were available to her at any time; she didn't give up."

Doing this in Second Life changed her, Leah relates -- for the better: "Her brain injury still has long-term effects, but the symptoms have lessened immensely and her life is much closer to 'normal' now. She is so grateful to the people who built this world and gave her that freedom." 

Now, this partial recovery might seem quite nearly a miracle, but then, academics are currently researching how another woman with Parkinson's reports significant physical recovery after using Second Life. And to be sure, that woman, like the stroke victim, are anecdotal examples. But we keep coming across so many cases like this.

But beyond any physical recovery, there's the indisputable social access the disabled and other housebound have via Second Life. Which again, as I've written before, has led me to conclude this: So far, only one only real life use case of Second Life consistently shows substantial and unique value: as a real-time, immersive social space for people with physical or mental disabilities that impair their first lives, who often find comfort and security interacting through anonymous avatars. This capability alone almost justifies SL’s entire existence. 

3/27: Bumped up for weekend discussion!

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Comments

[Mr. Obvious]

You don't need to have a "physical or mental disability" to medically benefit from social contact in virtual worlds. Depression and isolation are not "disabilities." Rather they are conditions that all people can suffer from at different times in their life. As an example: the benefits of social contact to help heal heart attack and surgical patients is well documented in medical literature. Support groups for recovering alcoholics are also very obvious examples of the health benefits of virtual worlds for anyone.

[Adeon Writer]

SL has a support group for stroke survivors. One of the first places I landed in SL way back in 2007. Very nice people.

[secondlife ghost]

Secondlife has helped me after dealing with several strokes and a huge decade of deep depression.
Unsure if positive changes in my life would have ever happened had i not been able be part of secondlife.
secondlife allows me to walk again each day something reallife says i cannot do anymore.

This article reminds me of someone else
years ago hamlet.she helped bring discussion early on of the therapeutic benefits that can be found for those with crippling illness.

You remember hamlet the temporary one?
http://3dblogger.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2008/06/a-sojourner-passes.html

[Wagner James Au]

I definitely remember Sojourner -- and thanks for sharing!