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Terminally ill Star Wars fan Neil Hanvey granted wish to see Rogue One early

Neil Hanvey passed away soon after being shown the film

Jack Shepherd
Thursday 25 August 2016 15:27 BST
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Neil Hanvey, the terminally ill Star Wars fan from Oldham, was shown spin-off Rogue One before he died, St Michael's Hospice has confirmed.

According to a Facebook statement, the 36-year-old saw the film on Saturday when director Gareth Edwards visited. On Monday evening, Hanvey passed away having been diagnosed in April.

Another statement was issued by his wife, Andrea, thanking the thousands of wonderful fans who supported #RogueOneWish, including Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill who Tweeted about the campaign, as well as those who worked at St Michael's Hospice for helping Neil.

“On behalf of Neil Hanvey, his wife Andrea and all his family, we want to thank everyone who supported the #RogueOneWish campaign,” the initial statement from the Hospice reads. “The director of Rogue One, Gareth Edwards did all he could to make Saturday a very special day for Neil.”

Andrea has since started a fundraising program to raise money for the Hospice, which you can donate to here.

Last year, Star Wars fan Daniel Fleetwood was shown an early screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens before he died, having been diagnosed with terminal cancer the previous June.

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