Budding Twitch streamer raises an incredible £1,500 for Devon Mind!
We are delighted and overwhelmed with gratitude to share the story of Piran Kiszczuk, a budding Twitch streamer who recently took on an incredible feat which resulted in raising more than £1,500 for Devon Mind!
28-year-old Piran, from Paignton, started streaming as OfficialPiran_ in August 2021. He recently decided to tackle the monumental task of streaming the 1997 PlayStation classic Final Fantasy VII for 24 hours straight in aid of Devon Mind, all whilst donning cosplay of the popular character Tifa Lockhart. Not only that, but both he and fellow streamer OfficialJackson_ shaved their heads toward the end of the stream!
In the description on his JustGiving page, Piran wrote that, “The choice to raise awareness and money for Devon Mind was an easy one. I know a lot of people very close to me who struggle with the constant battle every day that is mental health. I have seen this for many years first hand … and can’t imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes. I always admire the fact they find the courage to take on the day.”
We caught up with Piran after he had slept off the effects of his epic marathon, to ask him a few questions about his stream.
What made you decide to raise money for Devon Mind in particular?
Choosing Devon Mind was easy for me, as I wanted to raise money for a charity that would help support people in my local area that suffer everyday with mental health. I have also been around mental health all my life – people very close to me have struggled with their mental health all their lives and I just wanted to do something that may one day help them or people like them. As I’ve said before, I don’t know how people who struggle with mental health manage to get out of bed each day and take on the world, so if this donation can help just a little bit then I will be over the moon.
What on earth compelled you to not only stream for 24 hours, but in Tifa cosplay?!
So the Tifa cosplay was a target for my community to help me hit 500 followers on Twitch. This was agreed with a friend of mine called ImaBabyKraken. I then thought if I’m gonna cosplay as Tifa Lockhart, then I’m gonna do something big and make an event out of it – that’s where the 24-hour stream and fundraising came in, to make it one big 24-hour Tifa Lockhart cosplay fundraising event!
How was the streaming experience for you? Any highlights from the marathon?
The streaming experience was incredible – we had so many people watching, we had a lot of fun. I was blowing people Tifa Kisses and doing Tifa Twirls… we had song recommendations to do karaoke… the thrill of entertaining and getting the community involved. There was a period of time around 4–6am where I hit a brick wall, but my amazing mods kept me going throughout the 24 hours.
I don’t really have one specific favourite moment, I was just blown away by the support and love of the community. The fact that streamers I had never met before were sending their communities my way to join in the fun was just incredible.
[Note: You can check out highlights clipped from Piran’s 24-hour marathon stream on his Twitch channel here.]
Have gaming and streaming had a positive impact on your mental health?
Yes, I would say gaming and streaming have definitely improved my mental health. If I’m being honest, I can fortunately say I’ve never struggled with mental health problems, however streaming has opened a brand new avenue for me to make new friends and meet people just like me. I find the community can be so wholesome, and if you’re struggling with your day it can be a great place to unwind and unburden yourself. As we all know, some days are harder than others, so I like to make a safe space for all to come have some fun, blow off steam, and forget about the real world.
What would your advice be to anyone going through a mental health challenge right now?
Not sure if I’m the best person to give advice, but I will try! In speaking with a lot of friends, the best thing that helps them is someone to listen and just try to understand what they’re going through. So I would say the best thing you can do if you are suffering from mental health problems is to talk, and know it’s okay to talk no matter how heavy the burden. Sometimes, just by sharing it can lift the heaviest weight.
If you would like to take on a fundraising stream in aid of Devon Mind, check out our streaming page for a few useful pointers and resources. And don’t forget to tag @MindDevon so we can help you spread the word!