Pixar grants girl's dying wish to see 'Up'

[poiuytre]

(Couldn't decide whether to put this in Current Events or TV and Movies, so if this in the wrong section feel free to move, mods.)

Colby was diagnosed with vascular cancer on Dec. 23, 2005 after doctors found a tumor in her liver. At the time of her death, her stomach was about 94 inches around, swollen with fluids the cancer wouldn’t let her body properly digest. The rest of her body probably weighed about 45 pounds, family friend Carole Lynch said. Colby had gone to Newport Elementary School and was known for making others laugh, family friend Terrell Orum said. Colby loved to dance, sing, swim and seemed to have a more mature understanding of the world than other children her age, Orum said.

On April 28, Colby went to see the Dream Works 3-D movie "Monsters Vs. Aliens" but was impressed by the previews to "Up." “It was from then on, she said, ‘I have to see that movie. It is so cool,’” Lynch said. Colby was a movie fan, Lisa Curtin said, and she latched onto Pixar’s movies because she loved animals.

Two days later Colby’s health began to worsen. On June 4 her mother asked a hospice company to bring a wheelchair for Colby so she could visit a theater to see "Up." However, the weekend went by and the wheelchair was not delivered, Lisa Curtin said.

By June 9, Colby could no longer be transported to a theater and her family feared she would die without having seen the movie. At that point, Orum, who desperately wanted Colby to get her last wish, began to cold-call Pixar and Disney to see if someone could help.

Pixar has an automated telephone answering system, Orum said, and unless she had a name of a specific person she wanted to speak to, she could not get through. Orum guessed a name and the computer system transferred her to someone who could help, she said. Pixar officials listened to Colby’s story and agreed to send someone to Colby’s house the next day with a DVD of "Up," Orum recalled. She immediately called Lisa Curtin, who told Colby. “Do you think you can hang on?” Colby’s mother said. “I’m ready (to die), but I’m going to wait for the movie,” the girl replied.


THE MOVIE

At about 12:30 p.m. the Pixar employee came to the Curtins’ home with the DVD. He had a bag of stuffed animals of characters in the movie and a movie poster. He shared some quirky background details of the movie and the group settled in to watch Up. Colby couldn't see the screen because the pain kept her eyes closed so her mother gave her a play-by-play of the film.

At the end of the film, the mother asked if her daughter enjoyed the movie and Colby nodded yes, Lisa Curtin said. The employee left after the movie, taking the DVD with him, Lynch said. “He couldn’t have been nicer,” said Lynch who watched the movie with the family. “His eyes were just welled up.” After the movie, Colby’s dad, Michael Curtin, who is divorced from Lisa Curtin, came to visit. Colby died with her mom and dad nearby at 9:20 p.m. Among the Up memorabilia the employee gave Colby was an “adventure book” – a scrap book the main character’s wife used to chronicle her journeys.

“I’ll have to fill those adventures in for her,” Lisa Curtin said.

Source


One of the saddest things I've heard in a very long time.

[Raph's Girl]

That is so sad!!! But couldn't they have contacted the Make a Wish Foundation about this??? She probably could have seen the movie sooner. Either way at least she got to see the film before she died.

[Ginny]

Oh! That just brought tears to my eyes. That poor little girl, and her poor parents. My heart goes out to them. I'm so glad she got to see the movie.

[Buslady]

What an amazing young lady, so determined to hold on until she was able to 'see' the movie as best she could. She was brave. It's really sad but there is now no pain for her any longer.

[Andrew NDB]

“I’m ready (to die), but I’m going to wait for the movie,” the girl replied.

That's truly heart-wrenching. Both that she was ready to die and that she had the will to hang on like that...

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

What an incredibly sad story, but it's such a relief the girl got her last wish.

[ThirdMarioBro]

That's so terribly sad, but it also makes me adore Pixar all the more.

All this money to Wall Street and Cancer research still begs for cash. Bastards.

[Sewer Bull]

Originally Posted by ThirdMarioBro

That's so terribly sad, but it also makes me adore Pixar all the more.

I'm pretty sure this is exactly the main reason why it was ever released to the public.

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally Posted by ThirdMarioBro

All this money to Wall Street and Cancer research still begs for cash. Bastards.

This story made me a little sad, but I was glad to be reminded of what things really matter in this life...and I most definitely second ThirdMarioBro's sentiments on this issue.

[BubblyShell22]

Wow. Heartwrenching and sad. At least she saw the movie before she died, and she had the adventure book cradled in her arms. My heart goes out to the parents.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Originally Posted by Mino

I'm pretty sure this is exactly the main reason why it was ever released to the public.

Way to be cynical.

[Ra]

My already high respect for Pixar has just gone up a few more notches.

It makes me happy knowing that the girl got her last wish before letting go. It makes the tragedy not as tragic, ya know?

[Jack Skellington]

up was already a sad movie and this makes it more sad.