Horizon Worlds Spotlight: Blue Hope World by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance

Welcome back to our weekly spotlight on the people building for Horizon Worlds and their amazing creations.

Last week, we heard from tmwheeler1 about her series of worlds that aim to raise awareness about dyslexia. This week, we dive into Blue Hope World, created by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to help people learn more about the disease.

Colorectal cancer is the second-most common cause of cancer death in the US, but many people know very little about it. And that lack of knowledge can leave us fearing the worst for no reason.

Blue Hope World tackles the issue head-on with a series of spaces dedicated to sharing specific and clear information about various aspects of colorectal cancer—an explanation of what it is, how it progresses, how to get screened, who should do so, and when. And it quickly removes the fear by reinforcing the idea that by getting properly screened, most people will survive colorectal cancer.

Horizon Worlds is where you connect with other people, of course, and Blue Hope World embraces that. It features “Camp Ally,” a quiet space in a grove of trees where people can gather. There’s a crackling fire and even hot chocolate and marshmallows ready to heat up for s’mores.

Although it’s meant to ease people’s anxieties about colorectal cancer, Blue Hope World doesn’t pull punches. It makes it clear that the disease is dangerous if not detected early. One of the ways it does so is with a tunnel that illustrates in somewhat graphic form how small, benign polyps can advance to become larger and larger tumors that take over the body in stages. The idea isn’t to terrify you, but rather to encourage people to take colorectal cancer seriously. If people do, by understanding their risk level and getting screened at the proper intervals, they can maximize our chances of staying healthy.

Blue Hope World offers links to additional resources, as well as ways to learn more or help others. The subject matter may not be fun, but this is the best kind of virtual world—one that informs people about something very important to us all, and where we can be reassured we’re not alone when we decide to face our fears.