Seven teens suffering life-threatening illnesses had their wishes come true last weekend when they attended the world premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Los Angeles.
The teens lined the red carpet as cast members including Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver and John Boyega, walked by to greet them and snap a quick selfie.
This was thanks to the Make-A-Wish foundation who flew the seven fans, who have conditions including leukemia and brain cancer, to the star-studded premiere.
Among the group was Tyler Woodward, 17, who said he was a Star Wars fan long before his cancer diagnosis.
The Last Jedi cast member Mark Hamill posed with, from left, Jacob Martin, Isaac Rochin, Olivia Sava, Shannon McNabb, Tyler Woodward, Chris Alegria and Max Gavenman at the premiere of the film
Tyler Woodward, 17, from Ohio took a selfie with actress Daisy Ridley and was among the seven teens with life-threatening illnesses who had their wish granted and went to the premiere
Tyler, a longtime Star Wars fan, has leukemia and made his wish last year to go to the premiere
Tyler said he was born ‘right when all the prequels were coming out’ and grew up having lightsaber fights with his two older brothers.
After chemotherapy took his hair last year, he knew what he wanted from the Make-A-Wish Foundation: a trip to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere.
Tyler finished his last round of chemotherapy in October and just a week before the premiere he learned his wish had been granted.
He and his mother Karen hopped on a plane from Ohio to make it to the star-studded event that included an after party.
While Make-A-Wish couldn’t promise personal interactions with celebrities, the teens and their parents had a special spot on the red carpet where they could see the stars arrive.
‘I’ve been telling people that like 50 percent of the reason I wished for this is just so I could meet Daisy Ridley,’ Tyler said before the premiere. ‘But I don’t really see myself being disappointed.’
Tyler wasn’t the only Daisy Ridley fan.
Fourteen-year-old Olivia Sava, who, like Tyler, suffers from a form of leukemia, made a wish about The Last Jedi just after the last installment came out in 2015. She said her dad got her into Star Wars when she was little.
‘I’m most excited to see Daisy Ridley,’ said Olivia of Woodmere, New York, who wore a purse to the premiere that looked like the Death Star. ‘She’s an amazing actress and I really want to meet her.’
Their wishes came true tenfold when the actress who plays Rey stopped by and gave them hugs and took selfies.
Tyler’s hands were shaking from nerves but he was able to get the shot.
Right by Tyler’s side was Chris Alegria, 18, who has an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The Florida teen learned about his diagnosis when he suffered headaches and problems with his peripheral vision after being in a minor fender bender.
A scan found a large, fast-growing tumor in his brain that was removed but left Chris going through rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.
While on the red carpet the teens used their illnesses to grab the attention of the stars.
Cast member Adam Driver (right) posed for a selfie with Chris Alegria, 18, (left)
Chris underwent brain surgery to remove an aggressive tumor (right) and underwent rounds of chemotherapy and radiation
In this December 9 photo, Daisy Ridley (right) who plays Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi signs an autograph as Tyler left, and Chris look on
‘Daisy, I had cancer!’ Tyler playfully shouted to the actress from far away.
‘I’ve had brain surgery!’ added Chris Alegria who wore his prom tuxedo to the premiere.
All seven of the wishers bonded during their red-carpet experience.
When one boy sat down during all the excitement, one of the girls checked to see if he was feeling okay.
When another was trembling too much to take a photo, the boy next to him helped steady his hands.
And when the group spotted Ridley arriving on the red carpet, a buzz of collective excitement overcame them.
The red carpet outside the Shrine Auditorium, where a giant Imperial Walker towered over guests, was crowded with stars.
One by one writer-director Rian Johnson, Andy Serkis, Laura Dern, Gwendoline Christie, Benicio del Toro, John Boyega and Adam Driver came over to meet the Make-A-Wish group.
Established in 1980, the nonprofit Make-A-Wish Foundation aims to grant a wish to every child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.
Disney, now the parent company of the Star Wars franchise, granted that very first wish: a trip to Disneyland.
The company is now involved with almost half the wishes submitted each year, and is supporting the organization this month with a $5 donation for every photo of Mickey Mouse ears shared on social media with the hashtag #ShareYourEars.
Cast member John Boyega, right, posed for a photo with Olivia Sava, 14, of New York, who has cancer, at the premiere of the film at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Shannon McNabb (left) was among the seven teens who was sent to the Star Wars premiere by the Make-A-Wish foundation. She is seen laughing with actress Daisy Ridley (right)
The Make-A-Wish group posed at The Last Jedi premiere wearing Star Wars-themed Mickey ears.
Both Tyler and Chris brought their mothers along for the wish experience, which included a weekend in Hollywood and a trip to Universal Studios.
‘My mom led me through this whole cancer fight,’ Chris said before the premiere. ‘Cancer sucks, to say the least, and I could always count on her… She would always comfort me. She’s my best friend.’
Tyler’s mother, Karen Woodward, said she was just grateful to see her son so happy.
‘He’s been through a lot the last year-and-a-half, with the chemo and losing all his hair and missing school and all that, so this has really been a great event… just to be able to give him something that’s exciting to look forward to and that he’s going to remember forever,’ she said. ‘It’s so much fun to watch the excitement in your child. I get a lot out of that.’
After watching The Last Jedi alongside the cast, the group went to the after-party, which was modeled after a casino-like city in the Star Wars galaxy.
Guests could play table games to win souvenir Star Wars pins and pose for photos with characters from the new film.
And the Make-A-Wish kids could celebrate being among the first fans in the world to see the anticipated eighth chapter in the core Star Wars saga.
‘I’m going to see it like hundreds of times before I’m dead, but it’s up there in terms of being not only the best Star Wars movie, but the best movie I’ve ever seen,’ Tyler said. ‘Obviously, my experience is better than most, seeing the world premiere and getting to meet all the actors first, but it was amazing.’
In this December 9 photo, Oliva Sava, from left, Shannon McNabb, Tyler Woodward and Chris Alegria peer down the red carpet from their spot at the premiere of the film