Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds has shared an emotional goodbye letter to a special Edmonton boy who recently lost his battle with cancer.
Connor McGrath was a bright, energetic 13-year-old boy who was battling cancer and someone who had become a good friend to Reynolds. The Make-A-Wish Foundation had brought the two together and Connor was the very first person to see the new Deadpool movie because of it. The visit meant Reynolds travelled to Edmonton to surprise Connor and view the rough cut version of the film. He passed away on Tuesday.
“There were still huge sections with wires we hadn't yet painted out, jokes which weren't working (and still aren't) and green screens. Connor didn't seem to mind. And I'd never felt luckier to get to be Wade Wilson,” explained Reynolds. “I went back to Edmonton six weeks later and I wish I could say things were looking up. After my visit, I didn't know if I was saying goodbye or see ya later. Sitting here now, I realize it was both.”
“I'm grateful I got to orbit Connor's world for a brief time. Grateful for the pages and pages of hilarious texts between us. Grateful to his parents for allowing Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39-year-old.
“I called Connor, ‘Bubba.’ And he called me ‘Bubba2.’ We met because he loved Deadpool. In a certain sense he WAS Deadpool. Or, at least everything Deadpool aspires to be; balancing pain, fearlessness, love and a filthy (filthy!) sense of humor in one body. I wish he could've stuck around a lot longer.”
Reynolds says his friend went way too early and his infectious laugh and sense of humor touched many, including staff who cared for him at Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital.
“Connor was 13. But this kid... He was smart. He was funny. And not just funny 'for a kid' - or funny 'for a person battling something awful'. He was unqualified funny. He had that... thing.”
Reynolds encourages people to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation because their work touches lives in such a significant way. “Your money's going to a damn good place. These people do not suck. They are heroic. Full stop.”
“My deepest condolences and thanks to Kim, Gerald and the entire clan McGrath -- who loved this little boy so very well. And thankfully, Connor knew it. See ya down the road, Bubba.”
To learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation or to make a donation, visit the website here.
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