As reported by Houston’s KPRC-TV, a terminally ill Star Wars fan is trying to spread the word that his dying wish is to see The Force Awakens early. The man’s name is Daniel Fleetwood, and he has been diagnosed with a connective tissue cancer called spindle cell sarcoma. His doctors gave him a few months to live back in July, and he believes there’s a very good chance he won’t make it to the December 18 release date of The Force Awakens.
People on social media are banding together with the hashtag #ForceForDaniel in hopes of getting Fleetwood’s story to director J.J. Abrams, or anyone else at Disney and Lucasfilm who can help him realize his dream of seeing The Force Awakens before he dies. The Verge notes that both Mark Hamill and John Boyega have retweeted a post about spreading the word, and Peter Mayhew has tweeted the #ForceForDaniel hashtag himself. The Verge also points out that Abrams allowed a terminally ill Star Trek fan to see an early cut of Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013, so there’s a precedent for this. Fleetwood’s wife has also set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his medical bills.
[via Entertainment Weekly]