Gearbox will fly a fan with terminal cancer to Borderlands 4 early -- he says he was 'floored by the kindness and donations from gamers who helped him reach out.

Gearbox Software, which is behind the FPS loot shooter series Borderlands will fly a terminally-ill fan, Caleb McAlpine out to see Borderlands 4, ahead of schedule, next month. His wish was spread on social media.

McAlpine asked last week the subreddit if anyone knew how to contact Gearbox. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer at stage 4, and that doctors had given him between seven and twelve months to live.

McAlpine wrote: "I am a Borderlands fanatic and don't think I will be around to play Borderlands 4." "Is anyone able to contact Gearbox and ask if it is possible to play the game before its release?" Randy Pitchford, co-founder of Gearbox, promised on X they'll "make something happen".

McAlpine spoke to GamesRadar, and confirmed that Gearbox would fly him out to see the work-in-progress.

McAlpine writes via email to the site: "I honestly didn't expect it to explode like that." "I had thousands and thousands of notifications, and streamers [whose video I've watched] commented on it. When I got an email from Randy, I was shocked. It was amazing to receive an email from the CEO of Gearbox telling me he would do anything to help me. To be honest, I was just blown away. In a good sense. I never expected this. It almost felt as if I was dreaming to be honest."

The 37-year old veteran also told the website where his enjoyment of Borderlands series began--during his service in the army. "We would have Borderlands parties in the house or barracks where we would set up three or four televisions and play that way... I have played the games since." The games are all good in their own ways, from the characters to the weapons. "They are just fun games to play."

The entire interview is heartbreaking. McAlpine says that he "expected to grow old, and hopefully have my own family one day." I moved in with them on Christmas Day 2023 to help out my parents, and in some ways help myself as well. Seven or eight months after that, they were with me in the hospital when I was told I had cancer."

The support he received from his family, friends, and strangers online helped him cope with the devastating effects of terminal illness. "There was so much love and care shown by my family and close friends, and it has multiplied thousands from people who do not know me." It's been amazing and overwhelming, to be honest.

His fundraiser has also received a great deal of support. It raised over $12,000 - 134% of his original goal - to cover his medical costs, gas for traveling, and food, "due a strict liquid diet for the near future." Many of the donations coincide with his original plea on Reddit. The Borderlands community has stepped up to the plate.

Unfortunately, support is only so effective when dealing with severe illnesses. McAlpine's life is still hard. He writes: "Cancer, no joke. The pain I feel from my colorectal carcinoma that has spread to my liver is terrible." When you add chemotherapy to the mix, it becomes unbearable.

"There are good and bad days, but there have been so many bad ones because of the side-effects from the chemo. I've cried in bed from the pain. My palliative team prescribed me gabapentin and morphine, but it didn't help. "My heart goes out to anyone who is going through cancer treatment, and to their family members who have to watch them struggle with this terrible disease."

Gaming has helped him get through the worst. "For chemo, I was given a Switch from [my] friends. Of course, the first games I purchased were the entire Borderlands Series... I immediately downloaded BL3 and went back to the vault hunting on my Switch. I bring my Switch to the infusion clinic with me and Borderlands is ready to play.