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Ryan Reynolds writes touching tribute to 'Deadpool' fan, 13, who died of cancer

When the world's biggest "Deadpool'' fan died from cancer after a three-year battle this week, Ryan Reynolds lost a close friend.
/ Source: TODAY

When the world's biggest "Deadpool'' fan died from cancer after a three-year battle this week, Ryan Reynolds lost a close friend.

Reynolds paid tribute to fellow Canadian Connor McGrath, 13, with a touching Facebook post about their friendship and the "smart" and "funny" teenager, whom Reynolds met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"Connor was a great friend, a great son, and a light to the people lucky enough to know him,'' Reynolds wrote. "I'm grateful I got to orbit Connor's world for a brief time. Grateful for the pages and pages of hilarious texts between us. Grateful to his parents for allowing Connor to spend time with a foul-mouthed child in the body of a 39-year-old."

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The boy from Newfoundland was the first person to ever see the blockbuster "Deadpool" movie. Working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Reynolds visited him at Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Canada, and showed him a rough cut of the film long before it was released in theaters.

"Before you jump down my throat for showing a 13 year old an R-Rated film, please know this kid knew more swear words than a British chef,'' Reynolds joked in his tribute.

McGrath was a huge "Deadpool" fan, and Reynolds viewed him as a superhero of his own. He also thanked the Make-A-Wish Foundation for bringing them together.

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"We met because he loved Deadpool,'' Reynolds wrote. "In a certain sense he WAS Deadpool. Or, at least everything Deadpool aspires to be; balancing pain, fearlessness, love and a filthy (filthy!) sense of humor in one body. I wish he could've stuck around a lot longer."

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