Daniel Fleetwood, the lifelong
Star Wars fan and cancer patient who was given an early personal screening of the upcoming sequel
The Force Awakens, died early Tuesday morning at the age of 32. His wife, Ashley Fleetwood, broke the news on her Facebook page, which had become the hub of activism and encouraging messages over the last few weeks.
“Daniel put up an amazing fight to the very end,” Fleetwood
. “He is now one with God and with the force. He passed in his sleep and in peace. He will always be my idol and my hero. Please hug uncle Marc for me and give Lucy lots of kisses. Rest in peace my love.”
Diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a rare cancer of the connective tissue, and given just two months to live in July, Fleetwood’s final wish — to see
The Force Awakens — began to make headlines in mid-October. It quickly went viral, using the hashtag #ForceForDaniel, and received major boosts when original franchise stars
and Carrie Fisher, as well as newcomers John Boyega and
, voiced their support on Twitter and Instagram.
The activism paid off, as last week, director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm allowed the top-secret film
at Fleetwood’s Houston home. Abrams called Fleetwood to deliver the good news, and on November 5th, Fleetwood saw an unfinished cut of the film.
“It was like bringing a kid to see his favorite movie at the movie theaters. It was beautiful, and it made me cry to see his reaction,” Ashley Fleetwood
. “I don’t think I could ever express into words how grateful we are, and we just want everyone to know that we will never forget that.”
Fleetwood was also later
of the 501st Stormtrooper Legion, a group of fans dedicated to re-creating authentic
Star Warscostumes and doing good around their communities.
