You never know when or where you're going to meet a person who will make a special impact on your life.
For Leah Remini, it was when she received a call from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, introducing her to a young girl named Maddie, who was a huge King of Queens fan and whose wish was to meet Leah Remini and her husband on the show, Kevin James.
The pair agreed and invited Maddie and her family to the set of Kevin Can Wait, where they were filming together again.
But while Remini surely must have been expecting a sweet experience with a fan, she never expected that the meet-and-greet would inspire the beginning of a friendship that would grow, deepen, and last for well over a decade.
The two women grew close, shared messages and photos, and also traveled to see each other. Remini was proud to see the "truly special girl turned young woman" that Maddie became and what she believed she would achieve in her life.
Those dreams were cut short when Maddie tragically passed away at the age of 21.
Remini shared a tribute to her on her Instagram, including a video collage of their interactions, a few photos, and the text she received, breaking the tragic news.
Remini wrote on Instagram:
"Over the years, many of you have joined me in celebrating this truly special girl turned young woman, Maddie."
"I am heartbroken to share with you that Maddie has passed away at the age of 21."
"I’m sharing a glimpse into my friendship with Maddie because I want people to know how truly special she was."
"I met Maddie when Kevin James and I were filming 'Kevin Can Wait.' Make a Wish Foundation reached out and told us that a young girl’s wish was to meet us."
"I was so touched. This beautiful little girl was a fan of 'King of Queens'? And we of course said yes. Maddie and her family came to visit us on set, and what started as a meet-and-greet turned into a real, almost decade-long, lasting friendship."
"Maddie had Spinal Muscular Atrophy type two (SMA), but she never let it define her. She was excited to begin advocacy work and had recently told me she was officially going to start speaking publicly about her experiences."
"She had big dreams, and I was so proud watching her grow into the leader I always knew she was."
"She loved all things girly: nails, hair, and makeup. And she loved the Timberwolves. She hated snow (though she lived in Minnesota), and more importantly, she loved helping people."
"She wrote me love notes daily, and I only hope I had let her know how much joy she brought me."
"We shared many beautiful moments that have kept me positive in moments of difficulty and darkness, and she was about to come to LA again, where I planned on celebrating her for her birthday and her recent accomplishments."
Remini also shared an image of a text she received from Maddie's friend Emma.
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Remini was deeply touched by the message and by Maddie's wishes.
"I received this text from her friend Emma, whom I knew from the many funny videos Maddie sent me of the two of them. I’ve included it above."
"That she was thinking of me in this way and wanted me to have the things she mentioned, that she cared so much, is also truly touching and heartbreaking."
"Maddie had so much life ahead of her. She was hopeful, brilliant, and genuinely excited for her future. I will miss her humor and the light she brought into this world every single day."
"If you feel moved, it would mean the world to her to support the cause she believed in so passionately: finding a cure for spinal muscular atrophy."
You can see the Instagram post here:
Fans were touched by Remini's tribute and wished Maddie's loved ones well.
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It's beautiful to see how much this relationship touched Remini and how a fan became a true friend.
May all of Maddie's dreams come true through the people who loved her best.
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