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Movie "Up" Fulfills Dying Girl's Last Wish
June 19, 2009
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- A 10-year-old cancer-stricken girl had her dying wish fulfilled when Pixar arranged to bring the new movie "Up" to her home in Huntington Beach.
Colby Curtin desperately wanted to see the new Disney-Pixar flick, but she was too sick to go to a theater.
A family friend got in touch with the movie studio Pixar and an employee of the Emeryville-based company arrived at Colby's home last Wednesday with a DVD copy of the movie.
Colby died later that night.
The girl's mother, Lisa Curtin, said she had asked her daughter if she could hang on until the movie arrived.
She said her daughter replied, "I'm ready (to die), but I'm going to wait for the movie."
"Up" is the animated tale of a grumpy old man who, after his wife's death, tries to fulfill their joint dream of visiting South America by tying thousands of balloons to his house and floating away.
Colby, who was diagnosed with vascular cancer in 2005, could not open her eyes during the movie, but her mother described the scenes to her as she listened.
When her mother asked if she enjoyed it, Colby nodded.
The Pixar employee left after the movie, taking the DVD, which has not been released. A family friend says the employee's eyes welled up with tears during the ordeal.
Colby, with her parents nearby, died later that night.
Her mother says at first she didn't realize what the movie was about, but she now feels that "Up" symbolizes her daughter going "up" to heaven.
Copyright ©2009, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles
