Tomas's super-cool Deadpool & Wolverine wish
We teamed up with Disney to grant Tomas's wish to attend the premiere of Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine movie!
Meet Tomas
Tomas was in the process of training to become an electrician, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma at just 18 years old.
“It was a real shock to all of us,” says Rachael Tomas’s mum. “He was right at the start of his new career, and then all of a sudden we were worrying about his life.”
Gruelling treatment required him to give up his studies for a while, but during that treatment he was introduced to Rays of Sunshine.
Why Tomas chose the wish
When he was told he could have a wish, it wasn’t long before Tomas settled on something to do with his beloved Wrexham AFC.
“Before getting ill, Tomas held a season ticket for Wrexham and would go to every game he could,” says Rachael. “Unfortunately, that was another thing which had to stop when he got sick.”
According to Rachael, Tomas has always been a huge Wrexham fan – and has loved seeing the extra attention his club has had thanks to American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who purchased the team back in 2020.
“When we talked about a wish, Tomas was so excited by the idea of getting to meet Ryan in particular and chat about the team,” she says. “He’s also a huge film buff and loves Marvel – so when Rays of Sunshine revealed the opportunity to meet Ryan and Hugh Jackman at the Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine UK Sneak Peek Event and Multimedia screening in London, he was over the moon.”
<After having such a tough time of things during what should have been such an exciting part of his youth, I’m so grateful to Rays of Sunshine and the Disney team for making him feel so special.>
On the day
Tomas, Rachael and their family travelled from Wrexham to London for the event, where they were able to have a private meet and greet with the two stars of the film.
“There was a point when Tomas and my daughter were chatting to Ryan and Hugh about football, when I just had to take a step back and wonder: is this really happening?!” says Rachael. “They were both incredibly generous with their time and made all of us – but especially Tomas – feel so special.”
After their meet and greet, Tomas and his family were able to watch exclusive footage of the film ahead of the release.
“We were sat among celebrities and other VIPs, and again we just felt like it was all a dream,” she recalls. “Even now, I don’t think it has settled in for any of us that the wish happened.”
The impact of the wish
“After having such a tough time of things during what should have been such an exciting part of his youth, I’m so grateful to Rays of Sunshine and the Disney team for making him feel so special,” says Rachael. “Tomas has been so brave, and he absolutely deserved to feel like a VIP.”
