Monday 2 November 2015


Daniel Fleetwood. Screengrab: KPRC-TV
Actors from Star Wars: The Force Awakens have lent their names to an online campaign to help a terminally ill fan watch the new film before its release.
Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, is among those throwing their support behind the hashtag "ForceForDaniel".
The campaign was launched to help Daniel Fleetwood, of Houston, Texas, see the franchise's latest instalment ahead of its US release on 18 December.
Twitter campaign to help terminally ill cancer patient Daniel Fleetwood to see new film before its release
Mr Fleetwood, a 32-year-old lifelong Star Wars fanatic, was told by his doctors in July that he had two months to live.
He told his local TV station KPRC-TV his dying wish is to see The Force Awakens, but he is worried time is running out due to a rare form of connective tissue cancer.
Star Wars The Force Awakens Trailer
"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," he said.
Mr Fleetwood said he hopes Walt Disney Studios, which made the film, will give him a private sneak peak.
His wife, Ashley, helped spark an online campaign to help make her husband's wish come true.
She called his love for the Star Wars franchise a "beautiful thing".
"Even if it's just a movie, that's magic for a lot of people," she told KPRC.
Support for Mr Fleetwood's cause was growing on Twitter, with fans urging the studio to "make it happen".
Hamill and Star Wars newcomer John Boyega shared a tweet that said: "Help spread the word. #ForceForDaniel."

In a Facebook post, Mrs Fleetwood called Hamill's support "amazing".

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