After battling cancer for the past three years, Neil Hanvey passed away in hospice care at the young age of 36. When the doctors gave him 8 months to live, the terminally ill patient had one last wish. The longtime fan wanted to see the highly anticipated "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" before his ill-fated death.
When the #RogueOneWish campaign hit online in April, the social media movement gained momentum from Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. According to People, the "Star Wars" icon contributed to the social media movement, retweeting the news about Hanvey's dying wish.
Thankfully, the movement spread across Twitter and Facebook, gaining the attention of Disney. With his wish granted, Haney was able to see "Rogue One" ahead of its official December release.
We would also like to thank the tens of thousands of people who supported the #RogueOneWish campaign. All the messages of love during the past week have given us a great deal of comfort during a very difficult time. We would also like to thank everyone at St. Michael's Hospice, especially Amy Duncan, without whom #RogueOneWish would not have happened. All donations at Neil's funeral will go to the Hospice's Family Support team and will be used to fund work with children and young people.
Though Neil Hanvey has passed away, his death reminds us how amazing people can be when they come together for one dying wish.
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" arrives in theaters on December 16, 2016.
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