Sometimes, every now and then, a celebrity realizes how lucky they are and pays it forward. Such was the case this week when Ryan Reynolds, with a little help from his wife Blake Lively, absolutely made a 9-year-old boy battling cancer’s day.
In a video shared to X (Twitter) on Wednesday, Ryan Reynolds made a video call to a 9-year-old boy named Riley. Riley, who is battling cancer and obvious Deadpool fan, had previously asked to meet the movie star as his Make-A-Wish.
“Boo,” Reynolds says to start the call, bringing a big smile and a giggle to Riley’s face. “Why hello there, Riley. I’m so excited to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. I like your [Deadpool and Wolverine] shirt.”
Riley had to have the bottom half of his left leg amputated due to his cancer. Then, after being told the cancer was gone, the cancer came back and spread into his shoulder, into the canal of his lung and into his lymph nodes.
“You’ve been going through a lot,” Ryan Reynolds continued on the call. “And I cannot wait to meet you.”
Reynolds invited Riley, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 7, to come meet with him at a future game being played by the actor’s soccer team, Wrexham A.F.C. “I’m going to make sure that this is one of the best days of your life,” he promised.
At one point in the video call, Reynolds looks off camera and says, “Oh, yeah, you can say hello.” That’s when his wife Blake Lively joined the call.
“Hey sweetheart,” said Lively. “You’re wearing Deadpool and Wolverine, which one’s your favorite?” To which, Reynolds jokingly says under his breath in a high voice, “Deadpool.”
Deadpool may be a wisecracking anti-hero, but to one young boy named Ryan from Hartlepool, England, the man who plays the character, Ryan Reynolds, is now a real life superhero.
“They can take time out of their day just to make one little boy feel special. It means everything,” said Riley’s mother.
Thank you, @VancityReynolds, for making Riley’s #Deadpool dream come true 🥹❤️ https://t.co/SzQRcPbQTL pic.twitter.com/4EayabCyTX
— BBC Tees (@BBCTees) November 12, 2024