Anyone who’s dealt with loss in life is familiar with the uncomfortable, disquieting intimacy of hospital rooms. They’re simultaneously remote, darkened rooms beyond the notice of the myriads of people walking by just outside of the metal frame and heavy door, and yet too cramped, shoving everyone inside them into a ruinously tight space. Despite the best efforts of paintings, windows, and overhanging television sets, hospital rooms are sobering reminders of a stark mortality that hangs over us. In the case of those in the room with illness-stricken loved ones, having to stare down the potential and very real loss of someone close, to get to see it in vivid color, is a harsh life experience.

That Dragon, Cancer is an indie game by Ryan and Amy Green, who experienced just such a situation. It’s a game built to share that story, originally funded by and due for release on Ouya. However, in a bid to open the game to a wider audience, the title is now going through a Kickstarter campaign to release the game on time through Steam for PC and Mac. The developers are hoping to secure the needed $85,000 before December 12.

The Greens describe the game’s purpose as “to tell the story of our son Joel and his 4-year fight against cancer. Our desire is to craft an adventure game that is poetic, playful, full of imagination and of hope. This is how we choose to honor him and his memory.”

Players interested in backing the project can follow the link above, and if successful, will see release on PC, Mac, and Ouya in mid-2015. Here’s the Kickstarter pitch video: