Bethesda donated $10,000 to the family of a Fallout-loving cancer patient and now fans are helping out too

Back in September, Bethesda visited Wes, a 12-year-old cancer patient from Virginia, so that he could play Fallout 76. As our sister site PC Gamer reported, Wes' parents said he was worried "he probably would never get to play the Power Armor Edition of the new Fallout 76 game he had pre-ordered," so Bethesda went and made him the first person in the world outside the studio to play the game. Sadly, as Virginia news station WTKR reported last week, Wes passed away on November 3 after battling neuroblastoma, a rare cancer which most often occurs in children, since the age of 5. 

As spotted by Comicbook, Bethesda donated $10,000 to Wes' family via their GoFundMe campaign on November 9 to help with expenses. "You have been an inspiration to the Fallout community and everyone at Bethesda," the studio said in a comment. "We will miss you, Wes. #WesStrong forever!" The studio's donation was enough to push the GoFundMe campaign over its $40,000 goal. At the time of this writing, Wes and his family have raised over $42,000 in three months thanks to 660 donors - including plenty of Fallout fans. 

Since Bethesda's donation a few days ago, several Fallout community members have visited Wes' GoFundMe to show their support. "I am a Fallout fan," donor Kyle Para said in a comment. "I want to help out a fellow vault dweller." Another comment from donor Anus Braunus shared a quote from Fallout New Vegas character Joshua Graham: "'In a world filled with misery and uncertainty, it is great comfort to know that in the end, there is a light in the darkness.' - [Joshua Graham]. RIP little Vault Dweller and my most sincere condolences to your family." 

If you'd like, you can donate to Wes' family here. 

Fallout 76 is now live a day early for some platforms and regions.