Mark Ruffalo sends Marvel-ous message to brave teenager
Incredible Hulk actor’s video to cheer up brain tumour patient Sian
A MARVEL superhero actor has sent a video message to cheer up a teenager recieving end of life care for a brain tumour.
Superhero fan Sian Reeds from North End got a special message on Twitter from Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo who thanked her for being a ‘great fan’ and wished her ‘peacefulness and bliss’.
The 17-year-old has a terminal brain tumour, known as DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), and is now receiving end of life care, her family told The News.
Sister Rhiannon put the call out on social media to Sian’s favourite actors and singers - including Emma Watson, Robert Downey Jr and Little Mix - for messages to cheer up Sian, who has just finished a round of treatment to try and decrease the size of the tumour and relieve some of her symptoms.
Mark Ruffalo said: ‘I just wanted to reach out and say thanks for being such a great fan all these year.
‘I want to send you lots of love and warm and tenderness and kindness and peacefulness and bliss and a big virtual hug across the world though these electronic streams to you in your place.
‘Keep the faith sister, lots of love.’
Dwayne Johnson, the Rock, also sent a tweet wishing love to Sian.
Dad Matthew said: ‘Sian is a massive film fan and to get the message from Mark meant so much to her. It may seem silly but it really gives her a boost to hear from people she admires and to know that people are thinking about her and wishing her well.’
Sian, who was told about her tumour when she was 15 after a routine eye test, compiled a bucket list of things she wanted to do and her story touched hundreds around the world.
She was invited to meet pop star Ed Sheeran when she attended his concert in Leeds for her 16th birthday.
Matthew said: ‘We had planned to go to Florida this year but obviously due to Covid we now can’t do that. She loves animals as well and wanted to feed the lions and tigers but we can’t do that as you would have to be near the zookeepers in the van which you can’t because of social distancing.
‘Covid has put a stop to a lot of things but we are trying to sort as much as we can. We don’t know how long we have left. She was given nine to 12 months and she is already at 18 months so she is doing so well but she is starting to lose mobility.’
The family have been overwhelmed by the support they have received from the community since Sian’s diagnosis. Matthew added: ‘It is amazing. People have donated so much to help us and recently helped us convert the bathroom downstairs into a wet room so Sian can keep her independence.
The community in Portsmouth is incredible.’