A therapeutic tool designed by a pediatrician who was once your patient.
Medicine treats the cancer in kids.
Play treats the kid with cancer.
Cancer Crusher™ is a therapeutic board game for pediatric cancer patients. Designed to improve disease understanding, strengthen family communication, and help kids feel empowered and less alone. Now available for your patients.
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Why It Works
For Children
Helps children understand their medical journey through play, making complex concepts feel approachable while reducing feelings of isolation.
For Families
Makes difficult conversations easier to start. Parents and siblings gain a better understanding of the child's experience, fostering communication and connection.
For Your Department
Designed with child life practice in mind. Easy to facilitate in individual, family, or group playroom sessions. Coated components wipe clean for easy sanitizing between uses.
About the Creator
Cancer Crusher was created by Dr. Tae-León Butler, MD, a pediatrician at UCLA training in hematology-oncology, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age nine at the same hospital where she now cares for children facing cancer.
During her own treatment, board games were one of the few things that helped her feel like a kid again. They offered moments of joy, restored a sense of agency, and taught her that setbacks weren't the end of the story — they were simply another turn. Years later, she set out to create the game she wishes she'd had: one designed to help children better understand their cancer journey while building confidence, resilience, and connection through play.
Cancer Crusher combines lived experience with clinical expertise. Developed alongside pediatric oncology specialists, the game is currently being evaluated in an IRB-approved pilot study at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, measuring its impact on disease understanding, hope and empowerment, and family communication in pediatric oncology patients ages 6–12.
What's Inside
Click any item for a closer look.
Intentional by Design
The objective of Cancer Crusher is to navigate cancer's challenges — not to cure cancer. The outcome of the game is never meant to reflect the outcome of a child's cancer journey. This distinction is intentional: Cancer Crusher was designed so every child can experience progress, hope, and empowerment through play, regardless of where they are in their treatment journey.
Ordering for Your Department
All institutional orders are invoiced. Net-30 terms available for established hospital partners. A 50% deposit is required for first-time orders over 50 units.
| Order Size | Price Per Unit |
|---|---|
| 1–5 units (sample/evaluation) | $39.99 |
| 10–49 units | $34.99 |
| 50–99 units | $29.99 |
| 100+ units | $24.99 |
Shipping is quoted at the time of order.
Request a Quote
Interested in bringing Cancer Crusher to your department? Fill out the form below and we'll follow up with pricing and next steps within 48 hours.
Or email us directly at hello@healthherogames.com
We do not share your information with third parties.
