Gabriel “Tater” Singleton, a 7-year-old Dalton, Georgia resident, met movie star and professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The two spent the day together on the set of Johnson’s new film, “Baywatch.” Tater has a rare form of cancer and dreamed of meeting his hero, Johnson.

After months of waiting and excitement, a north Georgia boy fighting Stage IV cancer finally got the chance to meet and share some very special quality time with his hero.

This week, the young boy known on social media as “Tater” met “The Rock”.

Seven-year-old Dalton, Georgia resident Gabriel “Tater” Singleton spent the day with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — a movie star and professional wrestler — on the set of Johnson’s newest film, “Baywatch,” in Savannah, Georgia. On Thursday, Johnson posted a photo to his Instagram page of he and Tater hanging out.

 

Been a long time coming, but I finally met the one and only “Tater”. This very special lil’ 7yr old boy has been battling cancer for 4yrs now. Multiple surgeries, chemo, radiation treatments and stem cell transplants. You name it, this lil’ boy has gone thru it. He’s had one request. Meet me. He spent the day with me on our #Baywatch set. Watched me film and in between scenes we’d hang out, have some laughs and have some good talks. One of the good talks we had was about every time he goes into the hospital for treatments he takes two things: his Rock action figure (which I’m holding) and his stuffed animal, appropriately just named “puppy”. He even made these shirts for us. “Strong As The Rock” and “Live Like Tater”. He told me every time he gets treatments he wants to be strong like me. I told him he’s already way stronger I’ll ever be. He just giggled not really knowing what I meant. One day he will. Spent all afternoon with Tater and his beautiful family. Lots of tears were shed among us. Joyful tears. Grateful tears. I don’t know why things happen the way they do in this life. Gotta have faith that there’s a bigger reason or lesson for us. Sometimes I’m not sure. But I can tell you this with all my heart and soul that meeting lil’ Tater and all these little kids over the years who for some reason far unbeknownst to me, look at me as their hero – is a thousand times way more important than any movie or any “thing” I could ever do or accomplish in my life. Having this platform to shine a little light on the path that these brave children walk – is by far the best part of fame. LIVE LIKE TATER this lil’ 7yr old says. Strong. Loving. Happy. You stay strong big man. Me and puppy always got your back ~ Rock

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Apr 28, 2016 at 2:27pm PDT

The meeting was several months in the making. After several Facebook posts of Singleton expressing his hope of meeting the muscular and outgoing Johnson went viral, his representatives set up the meeting with Singleton’s family earlier this year. Singleton was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in September 2011. Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body.

In following years, Singleton underwent two stem cell surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy, 12 months of radiation treatment and loads of antibiotics before being declared in the clear. He was in remission for 17 months, until September 2014 when he relapsed and cancer was once again found in his bones and bone marrow.

According to Singleton and his mother, Johnson’s strength — and signature bald head — have motivated Tater to bravely persevere despite his illness.

During their meeting, the two hung out in-between filming, having “some laughs” and “some good talks,” according to Johnson’s Instagram post. Johnson posted a photo of him wearing a shirt that read “Live Like Tater” and holding Tater’s favorite action figure of Johnson from the movie “G.I. Joe.” Singleton was holding a stuffed animal named “Puppy” and wearing a shirt that read “Strong as The Rock.” The action figure and stuffed animal accompany Singleton to his cancer treatments.

In the photo, Johnson’s arm is draped over Singleton’s shoulders. Singleton is beaming with a huge smile.

“I don’t know why things happen the way they do in this life,” Johnson wrote. “But I can tell you this with all my heart and soul that meeting lil’ Tater and all these little kids over the years who for some reason far unbeknownst to me, look at me as their hero — is a thousand times way more important than any movie or any ‘thing’ I could ever do or accomplish in my life.”

Johnson reached fame in World Wrestling Entertainment as the cocky, muscular, joke-cracking world heavyweight champion “The Rock.” He parlayed that stardom into a host of starring roles in films including the “Fast and Furious” series, “San Andreas,” “G.I. Joe” and Singleton’s favorite, “The Rundown.”

Jones writes for the Dalton, Georgia Daily Citizen.