Case Study: Lumi Nova and Ruby
(Names used in this case study have been changed)
How Lumi Nova helped Ruby overcome her worries and transform her life.
“I noticed a huge change in how she deals with things” says Marie, “and she will link back what she has learned from playing the game to being able to deal with life’s little annoyances in a much better way.”
Meet Ruby, a 10-year girl who lives in Suffolk
Ruby is a 10-year girl who lives in Suffolk with her mum, dad, brother and sister. She is described by her mum, Marie, as “very outdoors-y and a good friend to others”. Ruby is very musical, loves reading and Cubs, and like most young people her age enjoys playing online games with close friends.
Since being a small child, Marie recognises there have been difficulties Ruby has faced which affected her everyday life. There were certain things Ruby’s parents had to do to accommodate her anxieties, and although they were happy to do that, they knew she had a tendency “to put a lot of pressure on herself”. She struggled to come to terms with things “when they didn’t quite go according to plan” or if she was running late. Leaving for school in the morning could be very difficult for Ruby if she wasn’t given the time to check everything was in place before leaving the house. Marie explains that they generally “tried to work around the issues.” However, things came to a head over lockdown when Ruby began to worry about returning to year 6 in primary school. School worries escalated once the new term began and Marie says “she found a lot of the COVID restrictions very difficult, so difficult that there was a lot of anxiety attached, and she had quite a few days off. It took Ruby a lot of strength to accept it for how it is.”
Taking a step to face her worries with Lumi Nova
Marie began to wonder how Ruby could start to face some of her worries, so she reached out for help from Ruby’s school teacher and she discovered Lumi Nova. For Ruby, the first ‘out of the game’ challenge in Lumi Nova was the hardest because it became more real at that point. Marie reflected that despite her fears “Ruby was very positive about playing the game. She was slowly building up [her courage]... she knew what was coming up and was getting her head around it. It was nice to see her determination in doing it and her thinking “I don’t want this to rule my life any more”” as she worked her way through her first goal.
Noticing changes since playing Lumi Nova
“I noticed a huge change in how she deals with things” says Marie, “and she will link back what she has learned from playing the game to being able to deal with life’s little annoyances in a much better way. It makes it easier for Ruby and for everyone else as well. It is really amazing. It’s really helped.” Certain anxieties she struggled with before have significantly reduced and as Marie puts it “she’s really got herself over that.” Ruby is better able to cope with those feelings by herself and as a parent Marie has been able to take a step back.
Ruby feels “really proud” of her achievements: “I didn’t think I would be able to overcome my fear, but I think I have! It’s helped me feel like if I do have another fear then I can easily overcome it by setting myself challenges. It’s a really good game. I don’t think I would have been able to have done it without it.” Marie agrees: “I don’t think we, or she, would have worked on these things without the game.”
Marie feels that the game has huge potential benefits for children who are struggling with fears and worries. “As parents we’ve found that it really is on our shoulders. We feel less of a sense of community without after school clubs and without that extra support for kids” she explains. 8 weeks after starting Lumi Nova, Ruby completed her 2nd goal and started on her 3rd. Marie feels the game “has really transformed Ruby’s life and our life.”
“I didn’t think I would be able to overcome my fear, but I think I have! It’s helped me feel like if I do have another fear then I can easily overcome it by setting myself challenges. It’s a really good game. I don’t think I would have been able to have done it without it.”