Danny Sheehan, 7, who has a rare form of brain cancer, went viral last week after footage of him receiving an Aquaman figure toy was shared online.
The video caught the attention of Jason Momoa, the actor who played Aquaman in the movie, after which he was determined to ‘get in touch and FaceTime him and spend some time talking to him’.
The original video of Danny showed him unwrapping the toy and exclaiming with joy as he realized it was his ‘favorite one’.
Making his excitement clear, Danny then shouted, ‘Aquaman!’
Momoa explained on Instagram that ‘community, friends, and family’ online had reached out to make him aware of ‘this beautiful boy Danny who is going through chemo and has cancer’.
Momoa then arranged a call with the young boy, who told the actor he was ‘so excited’ to see him in person.
Danny told Momoa he was ‘doing good’ and asked to show him his Aquaman figurine. The pair discussed Danny’s love for dolphins, with Momoa saying they should try and arrange for the young boy to swim with dolphins at some point.
The actor reached out to Warner Bros. on social media to encourage the studio to send Danny an Aquaman trident of his own, and he included more information about Danny’s story through a link to the family’s GoFundMe on his Instagram page.
Danny was diagnosed when he was four years old when doctors found an ‘abnormal mass’ on his brain. The young boy underwent surgery for hydrocephalus, or swelling of the brain, which had been caused by his Pineoblastoma, an aggressive and cancerous brain tumor.
Since his diagnosis, the 7-year-old has been battling the disease with great support from his parents and community.
A Facebook page dedicated to Danny, called 4TheLoveofDanny, thanked Momoa for reaching out.
“Thank you to #prideofgypsies #jasonmomoa for your beyond kind heart.point 251 |
Thank you for making this call and for making Danny the happiest little boy ever – he can’t wait to ride dolphins with #AQUAMAN!!” The page said.point 125 | “And a huge thank you to everyone who shared D’s video and made the seemingly impossible of him meeting his superhero hero totally possible! My mom heart is bursting with joy, thankfulness, and love.point 295 |
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A video of Momoa’s conversation with Danny has been liked by hundreds of thousands of people, with viewers describing the scene as ‘amazing’.