Johnny Depp Selflessly Enacts Captain Jack Sparrow to Fulfill Terminally Ill 11-YO Boy's Dying Wish

A terminally ill young child, whose last wish to interact with the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was fulfilled by actor Johnny Depp, has passed away. Kori Stovell, who was born with a cardiac problem, was receiving palliative care after two failed transplants.

The 11-year-old passed away on Sunday, July 9, at home in his mother's arms. He had also started a YouTube channel, Kraken The Box, that had attracted more than 200,000 subscribers. "We are broken beyond belief at the loss," his mother Pixi said, reports BBC.

She also stated in a statement, "I would like to thank everyone who has supported Kori and followed his journey. He was humbled and overjoyed at so much in life and we ask that people don't forget him, now he has set sail on his biggest adventure yet."

On Sunday night, just after Kori passed away, Pixi expressed the following details in an emotional video, "I am beside him right now. He went fairly peacefully. He is currently lying in his bed - I'm in his bedroom. His captain's hat is beside his bed and he has a pirate flag over him."

She added, "I would like to ask that you carry on Kori's channel subs, and interact with his videos because I am not letting his channel go and for all those people who tried to make Kori's wish come true while he was here, thank you. I don't know what to do - he was my baby boy."

Kori was born in Ripley, Derbyshire. The left side of Kori's heart was underdeveloped as he was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Kori received a new heart from surgeons in 2018, but it was rejected, necessitating a second transplant in January 2020. However, after a grueling and painful treatment, his body rejected the heart once more.

He had taken the difficult choice to forego undergoing a third heart transplant with the help of his family and medical experts. One of Kori's final requests was to talk with his hero Captain Jack Sparrow, and Depp sent a video message in December with the aid of the Make-a-Wish organization. Additionally, he had a goal of 100,000 YouTube subscribers, which he reached. Apart from Johnny Depp, Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson, famously known as "The Rock," is also a subscriber to Kraken The Box.

On Facebook, the Ripley Town Council also paid their respects. Kori, who turned on the Ripley Christmas Lights the previous year, was described as "a very special member of our community" in the statement. "Our thoughts are with his amazing family, friends, and staff at Ripley St. John's School at this sad time," the council continued. "Kori's story of his heart transplant journey spread across the world with the help of American movie star, Johnny Depp." The statement concluded, "Kori has many fans, not only in our community but across the world who will miss him. Rest in Peace, Captain Kori."