jwbarkerphotography.comAs if you needed another reason to love Sir Patrick Stewart...
Dawn Garrigus, a young Star Trek fan from Georgia who suffers from a life-threatening disease, wanted to attend Dragon Con 2014 in Atlanta about two weeks ago and the Make-A-Wish foundation made it so...and took it a step further.
The organization's Georgia branch arranged to have the little girl and her family attend the fan convention, where she was surprised with a one-on-one meeting with none other than Stewart, who played Captain Picard in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its related movies, The Huffington Post reported.
Photographer James Barker shared on his Facebook page a touching photo of the 74-year-old actor hugging the girl, who sports Vulcan ears and is dressed as Mr. Spock.
"I was shy at first, not sure what to say or talk about, but he kept talking to me," Dawn told The Huffington Post. "I felt like I was on the Enterprise talking to the captain. And suddenly, I was OK."
Dawn, who is 11, according to the outlet, suffers from a mitochondrial disease. The illness has no cure and can cause muscle weakness, deafness, blindness, seizures and organ failure. Many of its symptoms can be managed with physical therapy and vitamin supplements.
Dawn's mother Kristy Garrigus said on her Facebook page that her daughter's sweet encounter with Stewart marked "a complete moment of happiness in a time period that it is in short supply." She also posted a picture of the family, all dressed in Star Trek uniforms, with the actor.
Dawn said she was told she would be meeting Stewart just moments before their encounter, The Huffington Post said.
At Dragon Con 2014, Stewart took part in a Star Trek panel that took place on Aug. 30 and also included TNG co-star Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher, one of Picard's love interests.
"He was about to speak to a packed room of 2,000 people, but they sat down and he really focused on her," Barker said in his Facebook post about Stewart. "They talked for about 15 minutes. As things are winding down and she and her family are getting ready to go, Dawn unexpectedly throws him this huge hug, and you can see the happiness in both their faces. Bravo Sir Patrick! #classact #patrickstewart #dragoncon."
"Her illness can be very depressing and leaves her feeling separated and causes her difficulty to relate to other kids her age," the girl's parents told The Huffington Post. "Her brief visit with Sir Patrick has alleviated that feeling, which we cannot begin to express gratitude for."