When Dwayne Johnson isn’t clowning on Kevin Hart, drinking tequila, or crushing weights at his portable gym, he’s granting wishes for young people worldwide. While continuing to heal from an elbow injury he got on the set of his upcoming A24 film The Smashing Machine, Johnson received a “rush wish” from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. This organization makes miracles happen for young people with life-threatening illnesses. They’ve worked with Johnson on various requests before. Still, a recent request from 4-year-old Lily is making the rounds online. Speaking with his followers on social media, Johnson shared a video of Lily’s wish fulfillment, which is for Johnson to sing ‘You’re Welcome’ from the Moana movie soundtrack.
Lily’s parents asked Johnson to share his performance on social media so others could hear about her story, fight, and bravery in the face of dire circumstances.
“I received a request that I need to share with you guys,” Johnson told the camera. “The sharing of this request is in the spirit of Make-A-Wish, which is a foundation that I hold near and dear to my heart.”
Johnson continued, “This is a special Make-A-Wish request and it’s called a rush wish. And a rush wish means, what the implication sounds like, which is time is just not on our side.”
Before belting out his classic Disney tune, Johnson explains that Lily is in a home hospice. While she cannot eat independently and is non-verbal, she can still react to stimuli and is excited about Johnson granting her wish. Before breaking into song, Johnson says he’s a little rusty when channeling Maui’s mana and powerful vocals. Still, he gives it the old college try for an endearing performance that Lily will undoubtedly enjoy.
After his performance, Johnson speaks to Lily directly, saying, “Thank you so much for allowing me the privilege of making your Make-a-Wish come true,” he said. “That was me singing ‘You’re Welcome’ in probably a few keys that don’t exist. I hope you enjoyed it and Lily, you are so special.” He then urges his followers to send their well-wishes to Lily, to let her know she is loved, strong, and brave.
I’m not crying! You’re the one who’s crying!
Johnson reprises his iconic role as Maui in Disney’s Moana 2, coming to theaters on November 27.
Stay strong, Lily. You’ve made a lot of people smile today.