It’s been a big day for… Listening to...

0:00 10:23
GOAT

It’s been a big day for… Listening to...

Chris Evans

Your Fave Marvel Superheroes Are Filming Messages Of Support For This Melbourne Teen With Brain Cancer, Because The Internet Is A Magical Place Sometimes

We're not crying, it's just been raining on our faces.

Real-life good guys and fictional superheroes Chris Evans, Hugh Jackman, Tom Holland, Chris Pratt and Ryan Reynolds have sent messages of support to Melbourne teenager Josh, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016 after battling leukaemia as a child.

Like most teenagers, Josh loves the Marvel movies, so a friend of the family put out a call on Twitter for people to help get the attention of some of the Marvel family, particularly Ryan Reynolds, as the Deadpool movies are his favourite.

Fortunately, the internet delivered, and Ryan Reynolds sent Josh a video. In Reynolds’ message, he said that Josh had “more courage and more strength in [his] pinky finger than any superhero does in their entire body”.

Not only did Deadpool himself send Josh a video, but he got his fellow (actors who play) superheroes Tom Holland, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt and Hugh Jackman to send videos too.

This isn’t Tom Holland’s first time reaching out to a sick fan – he’s known for visiting hospitals in his Spider-Man costume. Which is fine, I’m completely fine and not openly weeping on the bus.

In his video, Chris Pratt said “I play Star Lord in the movies and play a hero, but I think real heroes are young people like you”.

Josh was born at just six months with a twin who passed away after just one week. At the age of 5, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and underwent three years of chemotherapy and radiation. Unfortunately, after three years of treatment, he relapsed. His brother was found to be a match and donated his bone marrow to Josh just before Christmas in 2009.

If that wasn’t enough for one young boy to endure, in late 2016 Josh was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multiforme, a stage 4 brain tumour. After surgery to remove the tumour left him paralysed down one side of his body, two new tumours were found forming in his brain earlier this year. Tragically, Josh’s cancer is now terminal.

Hopefully receiving messages of love and support from some of his favourite superheroes has provided some comfort and reminded him of just how loved he is.

And next time the internet is a dumpster fire, let this story remind you how the access and communication it facilitates makes this kind of thing way easier than in the days of snail-fan-mail.