Johnny Depp: Jack Sparrow’s message for terminally ill boy

Pirates of the Caribbean fan Kori has undergone two unsuccessful heart transplants but decided he did not want to face the ordeal of a third.

He and his family, from Derbyshire, do not know how long he has to live.

One of Kori’s last wishes was to speak to his idol Captain Jack and the actor responded in style.

Kori, from Ripley, recently set up a YouTube channel, Kraken the Box, which already has more then 160,000 subscribers.

They include Mr Depp who donned his famous pirate gear to record a special message saying: “I wish you the best of luck.

“I am your number one fan, Captain Kori.

“All the respect and love mate.”

Mr Depp said he would also be encouraging his friends to follow Kori’s channel.

The subscribers also include fellow Hollywood star and wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Kori’s mum Pixi said the message, arranged through the Make A Wish charity, was “amazing” and had lifted her son’s spirits at a devastating time for the family.

She said surgeons gave Kori, who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a new heart in 2018 but the organ was rejected.

He underwent a second transplant in January last year but after a traumatic and painful procedure, again his body did not accept the heart.

Now, after discussions with his parents and medical team, he has decided not to go through with another.

“He has always stated if he ever needed another transplant, it is something he would never go through again so the second they told me the news, I knew this was only ever going to go one way,” his mum said.

“There is no cure now.

“The first transplant wasn’t easy but it went quite well. The second one was extremely traumatic for him.

“It was extremely painful and drawn-out and he had to learn to walk and talk [again].

“He said he would much rather pass away than have to go through anything like that ever, ever again.

“It wasn’t just his decision, it was with the medical team as well, and it wasn’t taken lightly, but he has had a big part in this decision and he understands what is going to happen.”

Kori’s decision has meant he is now in palliative care and his family do not know how long he will live.

They are now preparing for what they expect to be Kori’s final Christmas.

Pixi said: “Every meal we make him, we don’t know if it will be his last. Every time we tuck him up in bed it could be the last time.

“It’s devastating. I’ve sobbed, I have prayed, I got angry thinking what was the point of Kori going through all of this just to pass away.

“He is very positive and we are making the most of the time we have left.”

[via]