Noah Connell, the nine-year-old boy who was inspired to take his first unassisted steps after meeting Spider-Man, has finally met his hero Tom Holland. The meeting took place at a special event in London, organised by The Brothers Trust, a charity set up by Tom Holland's family.
A long-awaited meeting
Noah, who lives with Pierre Robin Sequence and was born with part of his spine missing, requires round-the-clock care. He cannot eat or speak and is fed through a tube. The youngster uses a wheelchair but was motivated to walk after meeting his favourite superhero during filming for the movie Brand New Day in Glasgow last year.
In July, Noah and his family were invited to the movie premiere in London, but he was left in tears after Tom Holland and Zendaya did not stop at the disabled pen because it was "placed out of sight" on the red carpet. However, his mum Jade was contacted by The Brothers Trust, inviting him to meet the actor at a special event.
An emotional encounter
Speaking of Noah's delight at meeting his hero, mum Jade said: "What an amazing day for Noah! From watching the Spider-Man film to finally meeting his favourite actor, Tom Holland. Seeing his face when he realised he was actually meeting him was priceless!"
"Poor Tom was trying to answer questions on stage while Noah was trying his best to get over to him. He clearly knew exactly where he wanted to be."
"Such a special experience for Noah and memories that we’ll always look back on. He absolutely loved every minute and it was amazing to see him so excited and happy."
Special moments and gratitude
Jade went on to thank organisers before adding that they "made one little boy very, very happy". Finishing the statement off, she said that Noah had the "best day". Photographs shared by the family showed Tom hugging the youngster at The Cinema in The Power Station in London, as well as taking time to speak with him and sign memorabilia.
Tom Holland's father, Dominic, thanked the family for their kind words. He wrote: "What a lovely comment - thanks team Noah for coming along to our special day."
Noah was joined by 219 other kids from charities across the UK for the special weekend.
A journey of inspiration
Last year, during the blockbuster's filming in Glasgow, Noah was taken to the set where he met Tom's stunt double dressed as his superhero idol. Just hours later, Noah took his first ever unassisted steps at home – a moment his family said was inspired by his meeting with the web-slinger. Jade previously said: "We have said that it was Spider-Man inspired and Noah is the superhero now."
The brave boy, who doctors once doubted would survive infancy, has since continued to defy expectations and was honoured as a Child of Courage at this year's Pride of Scotland Awards. Jade previously told the Record: "We were full of emotions when Noah met Spider-Man last year. When he took his first unassisted steps and it really lifted all of us."
"He has been taking strides ever since then and he’s able to take a good few steps himself now. It still feels so surreal how much he is able to do after constantly being braced for the worst."
"Since he was born, we’ve been told constant negativity and it impacts you mentally. But Noah has totally defied it all and he fights every day."
