The Longest Journey and Dreamfall are among some of the finest adventure games ever to be released.  They are well-written, excellently produced and full of wonderful, memorable characters that have lived with us long since the games have been finished. 

One character, most of all, has our attention.  April Ryan. 

Winner of numerous character awards, April remains one of the shining examples of a strong female lead in gaming.  April’s values, choices, decisions and thoughts guided us through remarkable scenes and engaging interactions. 

Even in 2014, April remains a shining example of female leads done right, and stands hands and shoulders over any Niln, Aveline and Chell. 

So it distresses us that the actress who helped bring April Ryan to life through her voice, Sarah Hamilton, has fallen on hard times. 

In 2002, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  18 months later, she was also diagnosed with Stage 2 Parotid Gland Cancer.  As if that wasn’t enough, she had a completely extruded disc in her back in 2010 that needed to be operated on, then, in 2013, she had to have an operation on her hand due to a ruptured tendon. 

Her medical bills are astronomic and she has very little work coming in.  So Sarah has finally gone public and set a target of $24,000 on gofundme in a plea for help. 

The good news?  The Longest Journey community have come out in force and donated extremely generously.  Sarah has thanked them personally in the guise of April Ryan, but there is still money needed to be raised. 

If you’re like me, a huge fan of the series, you should check this out and get involved.  Sarah breathed life into a rich, compelling character that has stood the test of time.  It has been incredible to see the wide world thank Sarah personally by donating to her cause.  There’s only a small amount left and it would be a shame to see Sarah not reach her target. 

To see the gofundme page, click here