A 69-year-old Air Force veteran and ultimate Star Wars fan got his final wish to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi in theaters on Saturday.
Ron Villemaire had made it his final mission to see the latest Star Wars film after being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer earlier in the year, WMUR reports.
Villemaire’s daughter, Elizabeth Ngo, bought tickets to see the film with her father thinking he would be well enough to see it.
But Villemaire’s pain worsened, and he was admitted to hospice care at a facility in Bedford, New Hampshire.
Ngo, determined to make her father’s last wish come true, began the Twitter hashtag #RonsLastJedi in the hopes someone would take notice and make her father’s dream a reality.
It did not take long for Ngo to get an answer.
“I never would’ve believed it would’ve turned out like this,” Ngo said. “I mean this is incredible.”
First responders offered to give Villemaire an escort to the movie theater, where he received a hero’s welcome from characters in a far-off galaxy.
“Our role here is to make sure he is comfortable, and he is able to enjoy this experience,” New Boston Fire Chief Dan Macdonald said.
O’Neil’s Cinemas donated a theater so Villemaire could enjoy a private viewing of the film with his family.
“We’re also big Star Wars fans and we could help him,” theater owner Kelly O’Neil said. “I think any time you can help someone you should.”
Villemaire says he is “blessed” that he was able to achieve his final wish, and thanked the Star Wars fans that made it possible.
“I hope God will bless each and everyone of them just the way I feel blessed right now. He’s definitely with me right now,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable all these people are here, and thank God for Star Wars fans!”