He was one of The Rock's biggest fans, using the actor's inspiration as strength to get through his chemo treatments. But now, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is mourning a boy he met while filming a movie.
Monday, he took to his Facebook page to offer his condolences to a young boy that he met while shooting the movie "Baywatch" in Savannah, Georgia.
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Gabriel "Tater" Singleton, lovingly nicknamed Lil' Tater, 7 years old, wanted to meet Johnson when he learned he was filming the movie.
Children's Hospital at Erlanger even helped launch a social media campaign to help the boy's dream come true.
At the end of April, Tater was able to go to the movie set, where he spent the day with Johnson.
"One of the good talks we had was about every time he goes into the hospital for treatments he takes two things: his Rock action figure (which I'm holding) and his stuffed animal, appropriately just named 'puppy,'" Johnson said in a Facebook post in April. "He told me every time he gets treatments he wants to be strong like me. I told him he's already way stronger I'll ever be. He just giggled not really knowing what I meant. One day he will."
Johnson posted on his Facebook page Tuesday that Tater died.
"A few days ago Lil' Tater passed on, earned his angel wings and is no longer in pain," Johnson posted. "Our strength and love go out to Tater's mom, dad and sisters whom I had the privilege of spending time with on our set of Baywatch. As a dad, I'd do anything to put a smile on my girl's faces and Tater's mom and dad did everything they could to make this little boy smile. He sure did and it was beautiful. And we all smiled with him."
WRBC reported Tater's funeral will be held Wednesday.
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