Kane Bolan never went anywhere without his magical fishhook from Disney’s “Moana,” except for school.
The 6-year-old from Minnesota was obsessed with the film, especially the character Maui voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. His twin brother, Dennis, also shared his love for the movie.
But behind Kane’s “Moana” stuffed animals and Halloween costumes, he faced unimaginable challenges. Kane was born with a rare condition that required dozens of hospital visits, a pacemaker and a daily struggle to survive.
“He had a condition called Heterotaxy Syndrome, and it messes up a lot of your internal organs,” the boys’ mother, Christine, told NBC affiliate KARE 11. “Kane was born with a bad heart, and we kind of just dealt with that his whole life.”
With Heterotaxy Syndrome, organs such as the heart are in the wrong place in the chest and abdomen, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It is reported that 1 in 10,000 births are affected worldwide.
After lifelong medical treatment, Kane coded one day in early March, KARE 11 reported. Doctors performed CPR for 91 minutes, but Kane never fully recovered.
Doctors and the Bolan family were preparing for a risky final procedure to save Kane on March 11 when there was a surprise incoming call for him — it was from Maui himself.
“Hey Kane!” Johnson said to Kane via video call. “This is ‘The Rock,’ aka Maui from “Moana.””
Johnson and Dennis together sang Maui’s popular song “You’re Welcome,” to Kane, who did not have his voice at the time. The heartwarming moment was made possible through Make-A-Wish.
“You inspire everybody around you and including me, too,” Johnson told Kane as he lay on his hospital bed wearing his favorite Moana friendship bracelets. “I could see why you’re so incredible and amazing.”
Left with this unforgettable gift, Kane passed away a week later on March 18.
“Despite not being able to speak when we met, I FELT this little boy’s SMILE, and felt this little boy’s MANA,” Johnson wrote in an Instagram post for Kane on April 6. In the movie, mana refers to a spiritual power or life force.
“His mana was beautiful. His mana was strong,” Johnson wrote.
