Star Wars fan Daniel Fleetwood, treated to The Force Awakens while terminally ill, dies
Texas man treated to early screening, social media support
A terminally ill Star Wars fan has died just days after he was granted his final wish to watch the new movie The Force Awakens at his Texas home before its December release.
Ashley Fleetwood posted early Tuesday that her partner, Daniel Fleetwood, had passed away in his sleep.
"Daniel put up an amazing fight to the very end," she wrote in a Facebook post. "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.
"Rest in peace my love. This was the last selfie we ever took together. #forcefordaniel"
Supported through social media
Daniel Fleetwood, 32, of Spring, Texas, was diagnosed two years ago with spindle cell sarcoma, a cancer of the connective tissue, Ashley wrote on a GoFundMe page she created to help cover his medical bills.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/forcefordaniel?src=hash">#forcefordaniel</a> help my man get his last wish, to see a screening of Star Wars before cancer takes him. <a href="https://twitter.com/bad_robot">@bad_robot</a> <a href="https://t.co/XCuYD0KlpY">pic.twitter.com/XCuYD0KlpY</a>
—@pandorashleyDespite surgery and chemotherapy, the cancer spread to his lungs. On Sept. 1, doctors told him he had one to two months to live. In October, Fleetwood told KPRC-TV in Houston that he doesn't expect to live to see the movie in its theatrical release on Dec. 18.
Fleetwood's story and the hashtag quickly went viral and was retweeted by Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew and John Boyega. The social news website Reddit also helped promote the campaign.
"We would like to thank the awesomely talented J.J. Abrams for calling us yesterday to tell us Daniel was getting his wish granted!" wrote Ashley Fleetwood.
Abrams has a history of granting this sort of request. In 2013, Abrams allowed Daniel Craft, a New York-based film buff, to see an early cut of Star Trek: Into Darkness nearly five months ahead of its release after Craft was diagnosed with cancer. Craft died just days later.
I just read this and am elated for Daniel & his family! Thanks to the powers-that-be for making his dream come true. <a href="https://t.co/ImiAdyBxf8">https://t.co/ImiAdyBxf8</a>
—@HamillHimselfHamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, took to Twitter to thank the makers of the upcoming sequel.
Fleetwood was treated to a screening of the unedited film at home last Thursday.
In addition to the screening, other Star Wars lovers also reached out to Fleetwood in his final days with special visits, gifts and online tributes.