Need Something Heartwarming to Read? This Four-Year-Old Star Wars Fan And His (Imperial) Walker Might Do the Trick.

The four-year-old son of mother/blogger/Star Wars fan Stephanie Kaloi is recovering from surgery to both his legs. He associates the walker he has to use with pain, explains Kaloi, because “while in the hospital [the doctors] asked him to stand and walk with it and it hurt (a lot) post-op.”

So how can the walker be associated with something positive, instead? Easy. Kid’s a Star Wars fan. Turn it into an AT-AT.

Kaloi got help to do just that from comic artist Ben Dewey and his wife Lindsey, friends of hers, who saw a picture she’d posted of the lackluster walker and, within a day, turned it into the AT-AT you see above.

Now, writes Kaloi, her son:

loves being able to call Darth Vader (his favorite character) for instructions, and has mastered the sound of a laser being fired. More importantly, the goal was accomplished: our son happily walked all around our living room firing lasers at us for nearly an hour without once being scared that the walker would cause him pain. He’ll need the walker for another three weeks, and having him happy to use it is a huge leap forward for his recovery.

It’s absolutely magical, and yes: the Force is mighty strong with this one. And if you REALLY want to geek out, a friend of mine posted a photo on Reddit and WILLIAM SHATNER COMMENTED ON IT. Did your fandom heads just implode? ‘Cause mine just did.

My fandom head and also my heart.

One more pic, because I can’t not:

(via Bit Rebels, pics courtesy of Stephanie Kaloi at Offbeat Families)

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