Johnny Depp reprized the role of legendary pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to fulfill the wish of a terminally ill 11-year-old boy.
Kori, a “Pirates of the Caribbean” fan, underwent two failed heart transplants and decided he doesn’t want to face the ordeal of a third.
He and his family, from Derbyshire, England, don’t know how long he has to live.
One of Kori’s last wishes was to talk to his idol, Jack Sparrow.
Kori recently created a YouTube channel, Kraken the Box, which already has more than 160,000 subscribers, including Johnny Depp.
The actor donned his famous pirate costume to record a special message that read: “I wish you the best of luck. I’m your number one fan, Captain Kori. All respect and love, mate.”
Depp said that he would also encourage his friends to follow Kori’s channel.
Subscribers also include Hollywood star and wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Kori’s mother, Pixi, said the message, coordinated through the Make A Wish charity, was “unbelievable” and had lifted her son’s spirits at a devastating time for the family.
Kori, who was born with left ventricular hypoplasia syndrome, received a new heart in 2018, but the organ was rejected by his body.
He underwent a second transplant in January of last year, but after a traumatic and painful procedure, his body again did not accept it.
“There’s no cure”
After discussions with his parents and the medical team, Kori decided not to go through with another transplant.
“He’s always said that if he ever needed another transplant, it’s something he would never go through again, so the minute I got the news, I knew this was only going one way,” his mother said. .
“There’s no cure,” she said, explaining that while the first transplant wasn’t easy, “it went pretty well.” But “the second one was extremely traumatic for him.”
“He was extremely painful and prolonged and he had to learn to walk and talk (again). He said that he would rather die than have to go through something like that again,” his mother narrated.
“It was not just his decision, he also had the medical team, and it was not taken lightly, but he has played an important role in this decision and he understands what is going to happen.”
Kori’s decision has meant that he is now in hospice care and his family does not know how long he will live.
Now they are preparing for what they anticipate to be Kori’s last Christmas.
“Every meal we give him, we don’t know if it will be the last. Every time we put him to bed it could be the last time,” Pixi said.
“It’s devastating. I’ve cried, I’ve prayed, I’ve been angry thinking what was the point of Kori going through all this only to pass away.
“He is very positive and we are making the most of the time we have left.”