Ryan Reynolds’ Tribute To This 13-Year-Old Deadpool Fan Who Died Of Cancer Will Make You Cry

A good friend of Ryan Reynolds passed away earlier this week. The actor reflected on the news of 13-year-old Connor McGrath's death in a sobering Facebook post. Connor, a huge Deadpool fan, died after a three-year battle with cancer. Reynolds met him through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the two quickly became buddies, hanging out and texting. They even had nicknames for eachother: Bubba (Connor) and Bubba2 (Reynolds). One time, the star surprised him with an early rough cut of Deadpool.

Reynolds expressed his deep sorrow and extended condolences to Connor's loved ones, but also celebrated the amazing person the young man was — especially his ability to make people laugh. Connor was 13. But this kid... He was smart. He was funny. And not just funny 'for a kid' - or funny 'for a person battling something awful'. He was unqualified funny. He had that... thing. That thing you see in great performers or comedy writers. A running commentary/observational skill people are just lucky to be born with. He went way too early and it's impossible to reconcile. Connor was a great friend, a great son, and a light to the people lucky enough to know him. While repeatedly punching cancer in the balls, he made everyone laugh. Including the entire staff who cared for him at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital.

Above all, the actor seems grateful for the time he did get to spend with Connor. "I'm grateful I got to orbit Connor's world for a brief time," he wrote. "Grateful for the pages and pages of hilarious texts between us. Grateful to his parents for allowing Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39 year old."

Reynolds explained how it was Deadpool that first brought them together — but that Connor was the true hero. "We met because he loved Deadpool. In a certain sense he WAS Deadpool. Or, at least everything Deadpool aspires to be; balancing pain, fearlessness, love and a filthy (filthy!) sense of humor in one body. I wish he could've stuck around a lot longer." He signed off, "See ya down the road, Bubba."