'Words With Friends' saves man's life

Zynga

"Words with friends" as played on the iPhone

By Athima Chansanchai

The rise of social media has not only led to new friendships ? especially in gameplay?? but?in the case of two couples who met and played "Words With Friends," it helped prevent one woman from becoming a widow.

One couple, Dr. Larry Legler and his wife Beth, based in Missouri, met another couple, Simon and Georgie Fletcher from Australia, through the hugely popular Scrabble-ish word game two years ago. A few months ago, the Leglers and Georgie Fletcher were chatting during one of their games when the latter mentioned some symptoms her husband was experiencing. Larry Legler, a family medicine physician in Independence, Mo., strongly advised the Fletchers to immediately seek medical attention at a hospital.

They followed his advice, and as they told the story to Kansas City's KCTV, it saved Simon Fletcher's life, as the doctors who treated him found a "99 percent blockage near his heart."

He told them, "I've gotta buy that man a beer, he saved my life ... I'd? really like to put my arms around him and give him a big squeeze."

We've seen "Words With Friends" lead to marriage, as well as to Alec Baldwin's ejection from a flight, as it has amassed players (getting on Facebook certainly helped), but this might be the first instance of the game being instrumental in life-saving.

How many points is that worth?

Hear the couples tell their own story here:

More stories on how social media has made an impact:

Check out Technolog on?Facebook, and on Twitter, follow?Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the?Google+?stream.

Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/13/10149951-words-with-friends-saves-mans-life

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