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Ryan Reynolds has posted a sweet online tribute to a late Deadpool fan on what would have been his 14th birthday.The actor previously helped Connor McGrath become the first member of the public to watch his portrayal of Wade Wilson and his Marvel mercenary alter ego on the big screen, prior to its release in February (16).Ryan met Connor and his family through the Make-A-Wish Foundation earlier this year (16) and they became friends before the 13-year-old died in April (16), following a three-year battle with leukaemia.At the time of the teen's death, the star took to his Facebook page to honour his "funny, great friend", who had passed away too soon.
Ryan, who became a father for a second time last month (Sep16), returned to social media on Saturday (08Oct16) to share a heartfelt message for the tragic fan on the eve of his birthday. "My friend Connor McGrath would have been 14 years old tomorrow," he captioned a side-by-side snap of the pair on Instagram. "He isn't here now, but he stuck around long enough to make everyone he knew fall over laughing.
Right up to the very end he was as quick with a joke as he was with a hug.""Sending his amazing parents, Kim and Gerald McGrath crisp high fives and bear-hugs of love," he continued, before encouraging fans to donate to the Make-A-Wish Foundation: "Anything you do to support your local Make A Wish Foundation is alright with me."Ryan previously revealed he had bonded with Connor over their sarcastic sense of humour, a trait shared by the kid's favourite superhero, who also suffers from cancer.