'Star Wars': Doctor Dresses as Chewbacca to Deliver Good News to Young Heart Patient

What better way to get good news than from a Wookiee?For one young Star Wars fan, there was no [...]

By Nicole Drum

What better way to get good news than from a Wookiee?

For one young Star Wars fan, there was no better way to get news that he was getting a new heart than to be told by Dr. Chewbacca. Austin Eggleston, a 15-year-old from Pontiac, Illinois, had been promised by cardiologist Dr. Phillip Thrush of Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago that when a heart was available for transplant, he would deliver the good news dressed as Chewbacca. Then, last week, the hospital shared a video of the moment on Twitter when a Chewbacca costume-clad Dr. Thrush made good on that promise by bringing news of the promise of a new life – complete by delivering the news in Wookiee.

"We got a heart?" Austin can be heard asking in the video clip. "Do we seriously have a heart? Holy balls!"

The video, which was also shared on Facebook, has since gone viral with over 200 thousand views on Twitter alone.

Austin had been placed on the heart transplant list four months ago. He has multiple congenital heart defects that lead to his needing a new heart. Austin had already endured five surgeries and four pacemakers to keep his heart going until a new heart could be found. According to ABC News, Austin has since received his new heart and is recovering well. He may be able to be discharged from the hospital within a month. His mother, Mary Anglin, told ABC that the family is grateful to the family of the donor and that seeing her son have a new chance has left her "speechless".

"To see him knowing that he has a chance at life, that he has a chance to achieve so many things leaves you speechless," Anglin said.

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