A nine year old cancer patient’s dream came true when he got to speak with his idol, Ryan Reynolds, over a video call.

Riley Bains from Hartlepool in England had expressed his wish to meet the Deadpool star, prompting Micky Day from the Miles for Men cancer charity to launch an appeal. The plea caught the attention of Reynolds after the BBC posted about it on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The young fan, who is battling cancer, was thrilled to chat with Reynolds, who even invited him to visit his football club, Wrexham, promising to make it “one of the best days of his life”. In the touching video, Reynolds expressed his excitement at meeting Riley and complimented his Deadpool vs Wolverine T-shirt.

There was also a surprise appearance from Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, who asked Riley which character he prefers. Riley’s mother, Sarah, told the BBC: “It was incredible that they took so much time out of their busy day to make one little boy feel special.”

Last year, Riley was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, leading to the amputation of the lower part of his left leg and subsequent chemotherapy. His family recently learned that the disease has returned and spread, and he is currently undergoing further treatment, reports Wales Online.

This isn’t the first time Reynolds has gone above and beyond for a fan. In September, he made an eight year old boy named Nash’s day by visiting him at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in the US, where he was battling a rare form of cancer.

Alongside Rob McElhenney, his co-owner at Wrexham, Reynolds has also contributed to several charitable causes in north Wales since they took over the club in February 2021.

The pair are looking deliver to wider community benefits for Wrexham beyond the football club, bringing in the New York-based Allyn family to help them achieve their aims. Their first joint venture with the family was to buy a majority stake in the Wrexham Lager brewery, with plans for it to be sold in the US and Canada in the near future.

A new base right in the heart of Wrexham city center is also in the offing to increase production levels. Meanwhile, Reynolds and McElhenney also have grand visions for the football club’s stadium.

The global attention brought by the takeover, coupled with the popularity of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, means home games at the Racecourse Ground are often sold out. As a result, the redevelopment of the stadium is a top priority for them

A new 5,500-capacity stand at the Kop end of the stadium forms the main part of the proposals. In October, Wrexham secured the services of Populous —the same architects behind Tottenham Hotspur’s swanky arena—to dream up a masterplan.