Dragon Army - A moment for Ezra Chatterton.

Posted: 5862 days ago

Edited: 5862 days ago

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June 20, 2007:

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Ezra Chatterton became the worlds first WoW player to get the Phoenix mount drop. It's a rare drop from Kael'thas in the Tempest Keep (The Eye). Since the boss hasn't been killed very often, the known drop rate % isn't yet known.

The talk about this mount is that it's as fast as the arena Netherdrake (armored) at 310% speed.

Peep the Phoenix

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October 20-27, 2008:

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**UPDATE, 3 p.m. --- Added comments from Blizzard Entertainment in ---Blizzard offers condolences to Warcraft fan who died of cancer---

Ezra Chatterton, who many readers got to know in May 2007 when Blizzard Entertainment granted his wish, died this week after a nearly 20-month struggle with brain cancer.

Ezra fought to the end, says his father, Micah who has kept us updated throughout the ordeal.

I remember meeting Ezra at Blizzard's headquarters last year. The then 10-year-old didn't dwell on his cancer or feel sorry for himself. He was much more interested in relaying his character ideas to Blizzard's artists and developers. His wish? To create a character in the World of Warcraft. Read the original story at "Blizzard makes WoW wish a reality."

Quick snippet from the original story for those that hadn't heard of it:
The Riverside fifth-grader has a brain tumor. The diagnosis isn't good; metastatic cancer. Splitting headaches started in March, which led to an emergency room visit in April. Doctors had to sedate him for the pain and he didn't wake up for a week. Groggy and weak in the hospital, Chatterton only wanted to play the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft.

When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, an organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening cases, came calling two weeks ago, Chatterton knew exactly what he wanted.

"I wished for a trip to Blizzard because I'd like to see if they could make a character and do some things for us."

Chatterton didn't think his wish would come true. He's starting treatment today. And, at most, he thought it could just be a video conference call. But when he found out Blizzard was nearby, and willing, Chatterton became the envy of the 8.5 million World of Warcraft players worldwide. He not only got the chance to tour the company, but to create something new for the game.

His father, Micah, wanted to say thanks to all WoW players who offered support, plus the non-Warcraft readers who offered kind words. Micah, a writer himself, also wrote a tribute to his son to share with readers. This came from Micah this morning:

Ezra died at 9:45 on Monday night. The cancer attacked those portions of the brain that control breathing, and his lungs eventually shut down. He was conscious until the very end, and though he couldn't speak, he could still communicate with me through hand gestures and nods. Ezra was in pain, gasping for breath, and very scared, but up to a few hours before he died, he was asking for ice cream and choosing the things I read to him. As much as I feared the cancer would take his mind and memory away from him, he held onto those as long as he could.

The ironies are sickening. Ezra's mind was always his greatest strength, and stayed strong even as his brain was malfunctioning. His spirit and his will to live life well grew so amazing powerful all the way to the point that his life was taken from him. No one I have ever met was as talented at finding the bright side of a horrible situation, adapting his worldview to whatever new hardship befell him, and generally milking every last drop of happiness he could out of life as Ezra, and he's the one who is taken. The one person in my life who most loved living and was most exceptionally gifted at it, and he's the one who is taken.

I say these things because I am in pain, because I miss my son so much, and because Ezra's death is an undeniable tragedy. It is the world's loss that he doesn't get to do more, and fulfill his great potential. But I also hope that I can learn from his example. When Ezra couldn't walk anymore, he turned to World of Warcraft. When he couldn't see, he turned to music, or our pets, or food, or directing me to play World of Warcraft for him. The trick was that, as his world got smaller, he just looked at it more closely. If I am to take any shred of good from this suffering, I'll have to learn from him.

I hope to honor my son by learning to love my life as much as he did. It will take a long time to get to that point, especially now that my greatest joy is gone, but Ezra would demand it of me. I ask the WoW community, who have been so generous and kind to us, to please help me honor Ezra by doing the same in your hearts. Ezra's sickness and painful death was a tragedy, an experience that showed me a glimpse of how easily suffering can invade your life, but his response to it showed me how a strong will can overcome that suffering. As well, the outpouring of love from all WoW players all over the globe showed me how wonderful people can be to someone they've never met. Our bodies are fragile, but our hearts are incredibly strong. A tumor the size of a raisin is enough to destroy the brain, but our minds are so much more powerful and immense than the brain.

My son, Ezra Phoenix Chatterton, Ephoenix the Hunter, Squirlanator the Mage, is gone. All we have left in this world are memories of him. Please remember that he was a good person, smart and clever but also very kind, that he loved to play World of Warcraft, that he loved rice pudding and fettucine alfredo, and that he went through so much pain and still found ways to smile all the way to the end. Please remember too the kindness of Blizzard, and the overwhelming love of the WoW community. Without these gifts, Ezra would still have found a way to be happy and optimistic, just not as easily.

Thank you all for helping him through the suffering.

Sincerely,

Micah Chatterton

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Blizzard offers condolences to Warcraft fan who died of cancer
October 24th, 2008, 2:52 pm posted by Gadgetress

Readers have been leaving tributes all day to honor Ezra Chatterton, the 12-year-old World of Warcraft fan who has left us too soon. Now, we hear from Blizzard Entertainment.

Kacy Dishon, the Blizzard media official who helped arrange Ezra's initial wish-granting session through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, was very saddened by the news. She says:

Meeting with Ezra was one of the most amazing experiences I've had at Blizzard, and I am extremely grateful for the time that I was able to spend with both he and his father. We would like to offer the message below to Ezra's family from everyone at Blizzard:

"All of us at Blizzard Entertainment were saddened to hear the news of Ezra's passing. His passion, strength, and creativity are a constant source of inspiration to us, and we are all enriched from having known him. We're very fortunate to have met Ezra, and we hope his family will soon find solace in the wake of this tragedy."

Earlier today, we posted the tribute that Ezra's father, Micah, wrote to his son. Read it at "A father's tribute to Ezra, the World of Warcraft fan with brain cancer."

Even after death, Ezra continues to have a strong effect on people everywhere.

Sources:

http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/05/30/the-phoenix-mount-is-indeed-in-game/

http://gaming.freedomblogging.com/2008/10/24/a-fathers-tribute-to-ezra-the-world-of-warcraft-fan-with-brain-cancer/856/

http://gaming.freedomblogging.com/2008/10/24/blizzard-offers-condolences-to-warcraft-fan-who-died-of-cancer/875/

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