A Star Wars fan with terminal cancer hoped to see “The Force Awakens” before he passed. After learning he might not make it to the official release date, his wife and friends turned to the internet for help.
32 year-old Daniel Fleetwood of Spring, Texas, was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a rare connective tissue cancer, two years ago, and on Sept. 2 his oncologist said he has two months to live.
He told KPRC-TV: “Judging by how progressive the disease has gotten in the past two months I really don’t think that I’ll be able to make it.
“I just love Star Wars… with everything I got, I love Star Wars.”
Daniel’s wish became a social media campaign which quickly picked up steam online.
Two Star Wars actors backed the campaign for Daniel Fleetwood, 32, to see the film before its release.
Mark Hamill, the original Luke Skywalker and John Boyega, who will play Finn in the new movie, pushed for the “dream” to happen.
They got involved after an appeal on Daniel’s local news show in Houston, Texas.
Both Hamill and Boyega retweeted the hashtag #ForceForDaniel.
#forcefordaniel help my man get his last wish, to see a screening of Star Wars before cancer takes him. @bad_robot pic.twitter.com/XCuYD0KlpY
— Ashley Fleetwood (@pandorashley) October 29, 2015
I just read this and am elated for Daniel & his family! Thanks to the powers-that-be for making his dream come true. https://t.co/ImiAdyBxf8
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) November 5, 2015
On November 5, his dream came true. Lucasfilm allowed Daniel to watch an unedited version of the film, which won’t hit theaters nationwide until Dec. 18.
When social media is used for good, amazing things can happen.
Daniel’s wife, Ashley, posted on Facebook: “Daniel just finished watching an unedited version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens!!! thanked the “talented [director] JJ Abrams for calling us to tell us Daniel was getting his wish.
“I want to thank ALL the amazing people who helped make this happen, thank you beyond words!!! May the force be with you all.”
