Wrexham fan who met Ryan Reynolds as final wish dies of cancer
- Published
Jay Fear, who has died aged 45, met Ryan Reynolds in April with his wife Deb, son Sam and daughter Jess
A terminally ill Wrexham fan who met Ryan Reynolds as his final wish has died of cancer at the age of 45.
Wrexham co-owner Reynolds said he was "so grateful" to have met Jay Fear, from Southampton, before his death.
Mr Fear was re-diagnosed with terminal appendix cancer in January after getting the all-clear the year before.
After being invited by Reynolds to see Wrexham win promotion to the football league, Mr Fear said the experience was for his family.
"They are the ones that are going to remember what happened for the rest of their lives," he said at the time.
Speaking about his wife, Deb, his daughter, Jess and son, Sam, Mr Fear added: "I just hope this is a core memory that they'll never forget."
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Paying tribute to Mr Fear, Reynolds said: "So grateful to have spent time with Jay Fear. He didn't have much of it left and the fact he shared that time so freely with others is something I'll never take for granted and never forget. This man lived.
"Sending all my love to Deb, Jess and Sam.
"Thank you for sharing your dad with me. I know how inadequate words must be given your enormous loss. Sending you all your love from my family, Wrexham and beyond.
"I loved every second I spent with Jay."
Jay Fear was given a glove from the film and said his family would remember meeting Ryan Reynolds forever
Mr Fear's trip to Wrexham, to watch his team get promoted, was arranged in part by the charity Bucket List Wishes.
While at the Racecourse Ground, the Deadpool Star also gave Mr Fear a glove from the movie and arranged for him to visit the set for the third series of the film.
Mr Fear's life-long friend, Sarah O'Connell, who was the one who initially reached out to Ryan Reynolds, said she was "devastated" by his death.
Sarah O'Connell said she was "heartbroken" to find out about Mr Fear's diagnosis
"He was always the kindest, loveliest person. I looked up to him as a kid, and was heartbroken when I heard he'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer," she said.
"He dealt with the entire situation with unwavering courage and was a massive inspiration.
"My thoughts are with his wife Deb, and kids Sam and Jess. Sending lots of love to his entire family."
Related topics
- Published23 April 2023
- Published18 April 2023
- Published24 April 2023
- Published23 April 2023
- Published22 April 2023
