Mark Hamill says it’s “a privilege & a gift” to use his celebrity to bring smiles to sick children’s faces.
Recently, a father named Brad Simpson shared a story about the joy the Star Wars actor brought to his terminally ill son several years ago.
“As my son Elijah was dying of pediatric brain cancer in 2017, @HamillHimself contributed to a birthday video Lucasfilm put together,” Simpson explained on Twitter, and shared a photo of his son’s overjoyed expression. “Here is Elijah watching Mark Hamill. He died the next day.”
Hamill, who of course plays Jedi knight Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, was touched by the grieving father’s words and personally responded to his story.
“One look at Elijah’s beautiful face is all you need to know about why I’ve visited countless patients in children’s hospitals over the years,” the 69-year-old actor replied, noting that such visits are never easy.
“Emotionally harrowing to be sure, but I consider it both a privilege & a gift I’ve been given — a responsibility I’ll never take lightly,” said Hamill.
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