Surprise call from 'The Rock' brings 6-year-old boy joy in his final days
Kane Bolan never went anywhere without his magical fishhook from Disney's "Moana," except for school.
The 6-year-old from Minnesota was obsessed with the film, especially the character Maui voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. His twin brother, Dennis, also shared his love for the movie.
But behind Kane's "Moana" stuffed animals and Halloween costumes, he faced unimaginable challenges. Kane was born with a rare condition that required dozens of hospital visits, a pacemaker and a daily struggle to survive.
'He had a condition called Heterotaxy Syndrome, and it messes up a lot of your internal organs,' the boys' mother, Christine, told NBC affiliate KARE 11. 'Kane was born with a bad heart, and we kind of just dealt with that his whole life.'
With Heterotaxy Syndrome, organs such as the heart are in the wrong place in the chest and abdomen, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital. It is reported that 1 in 10,000 births are affected worldwide.
After lifelong medical treatment, Kane coded one day in early March, KARE 11 reported. Doctors performed CPR for 91 minutes, but Kane never fully recovered.
Doctors and the Bolan family were preparing for a risky final procedure to save Kane on March 11 when there was a surprise incoming call for him — it was from Maui himself.
"Hey Kane!" Johnson said to Kane via video call. "This is 'The Rock,' aka Maui from "Moana.""
Johnson and Dennis together sang Maui's popular song "You're Welcome," to Kane, who did not have his voice at the time. The heartwarming moment was made possible through Make-A-Wish.
"You inspire everybody around you and including me, too," Johnson told Kane as he lay on his hospital bed wearing his favorite Moana friendship bracelets. "I could see why you're so incredible and amazing."
Left with this unforgettable gift, Kane passed away a week later on March 18.
"Despite not being able to speak when we met, I FELT this little boy's SMILE, and felt this little boy's MANA," Johnson wrote in an Instagram post for Kane on April 6. In the movie, mana refers to a spiritual power or life force.
"His mana was beautiful. His mana was strong," Johnson wrote.
As hard as it is for Christine to think about that special day, she is grateful for the memory it gave Kane.
'I wanted people to see how happy he was,' Christine told KARE 11. 'Despite all of his struggles, what a sweet boy he was. I was very appreciative they put that tribute out, but I couldn't have imagined the response it would get.'
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The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Did you solve it? The deductive decade – ten years of Monday puzzzles
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Telegraph
30 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Florida's 10 theme parks, ranked and rated
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The immediate success of his World was all the state needed, though, to line up a series of parks that drew from his inspiration, going on to make Orlando the 'Theme Park Capital of the World'. But how do the 10 biggest hitters in the Sunshine State stack up against each other? After more than 30 years spent visiting them, we're uniquely placed to judge: here's our definitive ranking. 10. LEGOLAND Florida Resort Winter Haven When historic Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven closed its gates in 2009, a classic roadside attraction seemed lost – until the UK's Merlin Entertainments rode to the rescue, proposing to maintain the original gardens section of the park while building its signature LEGO-themed range of rides and interactive exhibits around it. The park opened in 2011 and has since expanded dramatically, but sympathetically, with hotels, new rides, a separate Peppa Pig park and the new SEA LIFE Florida aquarium. 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The original park has been transformed and enlarged in the past 35 years, replacing nearly all its original attractions and adding the blockbuster creation of the second Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened the way for the clever Hogwarts Express linking ride between the two parks. Children are well served with rides based on the likes of E.T, the Despicable Me films, The Simpsons and Men In Black, and many attractions are indoors, which is a bonus in hot, humid Florida. Iconic coaster Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will close in September 2025, opening the way for another exercise in themed rides that will boast indoor and outdoor sections. Price of a Universal Orlando Resort day ticket: £86-£136 (depending on individual day/season). The UK-specific Three-Park Explorer Plus ticket works out at around £33/day over two weeks. 4. Universal Islands of Adventure Orlando An all-round sensation when it opened in 1999, boasting dynamic coasters and cutting-edge rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, Islands of Adventure was boosted still further 11 years later by the creation of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, which introduced a whole new level of theming (along with Butterbeer). Signature attraction Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey claimed the title of Orlando's Best Ride, and was backed up by another Wizarding original in 2019, when Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure added more Hogwarts artistry and thrills. The only element the park lacks is a headline night-time show or parade to round out a range of rides and attractions that are hard to beat, especially with the 2021 expansion of the Jurassic Park land to include the adrenalin-fuelled VelociCoaster and fun Raptor Encounter, with its unpredictable life-sized dinosaur. Price of a Universal Islands of Adventure day ticket: £86-£136 (depending on individual day/season). 3. Epcot Bay Lake If any park can claim to have undergone a total metamorphosis since it opened, it is 1982-vintage Epcot. Originally created as a combination of technology adventure and world expo, it has morphed in recent years into more of an overtly Disney-fied package, featuring the film characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and Moana, plus Anna and Elsa from Frozen in the Norway pavilion. A five-year transformation of the former Future World section of the park was completed in 2024 and added a fresh look, as well as new dining and entertainment options. Happily, it maintains most of its world culture heritage through its original 11 international pavilions that offer the sights, sounds and tastes of the likes of Japan, Morocco, Canada and Mexico through film shows, live performances and national cuisines. 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The Sun
44 minutes ago
- The Sun
Disney On Ice announces 2025 tour – here's how to get tickets to Find Your Hero show
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