John Cena Sets New Guinness World Record
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The actor just set a record that's definitely worth celebrating.
John Cena, a former professional wrestler turned actor, just set a new record, and some might be a little surprised to hear what it is.
The 45-year-old became the only person to grant 650 Make-A-Wish Foundation wishes ever, according to the Guinness World Records.
The record also stated that Cena is the only person to grant more than 200 wishes in the past four decades that the Make-A-Wish Foundation has existed.
Cena began his work with Make-A-Wish in 2002, and in 2015, he passed the 500 wishes landmark and revealed: "I just drop everything. If I can offer a fantastic experience, I'll be first in line to do my part," as reported by ESPN.
The 500th wish granted was for an eight-year-old named Rocco Lanzer, diagnosed with leukemia.
His mother, Maria Lanzer, touched on why he wanted to meet Cena, saying, "When he was diagnosed, everybody would tell him you have to be strong and you can never give up."
Lanzer continued: "[Rocco] was like, 'Wow, mommy, that's what John Cena says.' I'm like, 'See, if a wrestler tells you to never give up, then you can't give up. You have to fight and be strong.'"
According to ESPN, many families have stayed in contact with Cena after the meet-and-greet. The outlet also stated that Cena had received heartfelt messages from parents who have later lost their children, letting him know how much of an impact he had on them.
"Those are always difficult to read. But at the same time, the strength of the parents in sending me a message about how much the time that I spent with their child meant to them, it's very special," Cena admitted.
Talking about purpose, the organization works to improve life for youth and young adults battling severe or rare health conditions. According to the Make-A-Wish Foundation's website, "Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses," and "Research shows a wish can give kids the strength to fight against and even overcome a critical illness."
Recently, Cena traveled to Amsterdam to meet a fan whose mother used the wrestler as motivation as the family fled Ukraine as refugees.
Misha, a non-verbal teenager with Down syndrome, didn't want to leave his home despite the war around him. So his mother said that they were traveling to meet Cena.
Although it wasn't true at the time, the Peacemaker actor heard about it and rushed over to make Misha's dream come true, as documented by WWE.
Though not a Make-A-Wish Foundation encounter, it is another example of how earnest and kind Cena is, especially regarding his fans.
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