A terminally ill man had an out-of-this-world wish — and his local community came through to grant it.
Ron Villemaire, a 69-year-old hard-core "Star Wars" fan, got to see “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” with the help of local New Hampshire fire departments whose medics transported him to the theater.
Villemaire has stage 4 colon cancer. More than a month ago, his daughter, Elizabeth Ngo, bought tickets to go see the latest "Star Wars" installment but her dad's condition began to worsen, making it difficult for him to sit up.
Villemaire is now in hospice care — but he still wanted to catch the new movie.
“Nothing would make me happier,” he told The Associated Press last week. “That would be something to take with me.”
So Ngo posted a tweet seeking help, ending it with the hashtag "#RonsLastJedi." Her local community responded enthusiastically.
Last Saturday, the Bedford and New Boston fire departments took Villemaire by ambulance to a theater and transferred him to a hospital bed there.
"We decided to partner to make his dream come true," New Boston Fire Chief Dan MacDonald told the AP.
Villemaire, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was joined by family and friends. He was met by the movie theater manager and a group of people dressed up as "Star Wars" characters. People also donated money to help with the excursion.
“He’s thrilled,” his daughter said. “It’s all he talks about.”