Actor Mel Gibson has a fan base that is spread well beyond the United States. As a matter of fact, one of his biggest fans is a wish kid from the Netherlands. Sixteen-year-old Rory wished to meet the star of such movies as “Mad Max” and the “Lethal Weapon” series.

Rory’s adventure began with a plane ride to the United States, during which his parents received champagne, and the children enjoyed presents. Rory was also allowed in the cockpit. After landing in California, his parents report that they were booked into a very chic hotel.

Rory’s wish day began with breakfast with the family. After the meal, a Make-A-Wish® escort arrived, with a limo coming a matter of minutes later. By noon, Rory and his family were inside Mel Gibson’s building and seated for lunch. Mel arrived after the meal, shaking hands and breaking the ice. Rory presented the star with a cap that read “I met Rory.” The two talked about his films, his children, and his life as a celebrity. When the teen mentioned that his favorite film was “Braveheart,” Mel brought him to his office to hold his movie relics. The star even presented Rory with hats that he had worn in the movie “The Patriot.” The family viewed all of Mel’s awards and laughed out loud when they found that he had drawn moustaches on many of the posters during times of boredom. They even previewed the last four minutes of an unreleased film that Mel was directing.

Back in the meeting room where they dined, Rory received two videos and two posters. Mel could not find a “Patriot” poster, so he generously took a framed “Patriot” print off the wall, wrote a special message, affixed his autograph, and presented it to Rory. Remembering the moment, one of the boy’s parents commented, “I have never seen my child so happy” and called Mel “a most fantastic person.”

In addition to interactions with the “Signs” star, the group took a limo tour through Santa Monica and walked around Hollywood. During the flight home to the Netherlands, Rory was allowed to stay in the cockpit for the landing. Lastly, Make-A-Wish volunteers Dasja and Christel welcomed the family home with a “Braveheart” cake and an “I met Mel Gibson” hat. Rory’s parents summed up the experience by writing, “This was a very special week that we’ll remember forever.”