Terminally Ill Man Who Saw 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Early Has Died
— -- Just days after fulfilling his dying wish to see "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" early, super-fan Daniel Fleetwood has died.
The 32-year-old cancer patient became the center of a successful social media campaign to lobby Disney and director J.J. Abrams to grant Fleetwood a chance to see the movie at his Texas home, because his family feared he wouldn't live long enough to make the movie's Dec. 18 release date.
They were right.
"Daniel put up an amazing fight to the very end," his wife, Ashley Fleetwood, said on her Facebook page early this morning. "He is now one with God and with the force. He passed in his sleep and in peace. He will always be my idol and my hero. Please hug uncle Marc for me and give Lucy lots of kisses. Rest in peace my love."
She added a picture, noting, "This was the last selfie we ever took together," and ended her post with the hashtag that she and millions of others used that got his final wish granted: #?forcefordaniel.
Fleetwood revealed Thursday that Disney had arranged a private screening of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at the couple's home the previous day.
"Daniel just finished watching an unedited version of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'!!!" she declared. "We would like to thank the awesomely talented [director] JJ Abrams for calling us yesterday to tell us Daniel was getting his wish granted!" Star Wars star Mark Hamill was happy as well, tweeting, "I just read this and am elated for Daniel & his family! Thanks to the powers-that-be for making his dream come true."
According to his GoFundMe page, Fleetwood was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma two years ago. On Sept. 1, after the cancer grew more aggressive, his doctor gave him from one to two months to live.
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