Oregon boy fighting cancer gets epic Star Wars costume

KPTV – PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - An Oregon boy will have one of the coolest Halloween costumes around this year thanks to a non-profit that decked out his wheelchair.

You wouldn't know it by his sweet smile and calm demeanor, but 8-year-old Daniel is battling brain and spinal cancer.

"He's got the coolest last name ever!" said Jessica Thomas, Daniel's mom.

Now, Daniel Shaughnessy is taking on a new identity as Darth Vader and the whole gang from Star Wars was there in his honor and mom too.

"The music, the actual built costumes, all of the kids with their light sabers, the whole team of people that came out with them in costume. I mean, it was amazing, absolutely amazing," continued Thomas.

In the last year, a tumor damaged Daniel's spinal cord and he lost his ability to walk.

Since he's bound to his chair, the folks at Magic Wheelchair wanted to give him the most stylish set of wheels around, just in time for Halloween.

"We call it a cure for the day and it feels like that for these guys. Their disabilities seem to disappear in other people's eyes," said Ryan Weimer, the co-founder of Magic Wheelchair.

Volunteers pieced the one-of-a-kind costume together just for Daniel.

"Typically a costume would take about 200 hours to do," continued Weimer.

"There were definite tears! Definite tears, and being able to see the look on his face when they took the cover off, and he got to see it, was amazing!" said Thomas.

This year, you might mistake Daniel for the Sith lord as he cruises around in his TIE fighter, but you certainly won't mistake that smile.

"The things that they do and just out of the goodness of their hearts that they do these things is so amazing," continued Thomas.

Magic Wheelchair transforms wheelchairs for kids all around the country.