Ryan Reynolds had a great fan and friend in 13-year-old Connor McGrath, who sadly lost his battle to cancer. The “Deadpool” actor honored McGrath in a letter posted to his Facebook page.
“For three straight years, my friend, Connor McGrath drop-kicked cancer... Not sure how... Maybe the cancer cheated... But the fight came to an end two nights ago,” wrote Reynolds. “In my wildest dreams, I can’t imagine how hard this is for his parents Kim and Gerald - along with his extended family in Newfoundland.”Reynolds and McGrath encountered each other through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a meeting he expressed gratitude for. The actor recalled the young fan who he called “Bubba” as funny and smart.
“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—That thing you see in great performers or comedy writers.”
The “Deadpool” fan was everything the film accounted for, according to the 39-year-old. McGrath was the first ever to see “Deadpool”.
“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,” he wrote.In his second visit with McGrath in Edmonton, things appeared to have made a turn for the worse.
“I went back to Edmonton 6 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.”Reynolds is grateful for the opportunity to “orbit Connor’s world for a brief time” and especially thankful to his family who allowed “Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39 year old.”
He closed the letter on an optimistic note: “See ya down the road, Bubba.”
Read the letter in its entirety here.
