Walking 4 Hope was co-founded by John Bell, whose son Jake died in 2020 at just 15 years old.
John struggled with suicidal ideation after the tragic loss of his son, and overcame it by going on fundraising walks while dressed as Jake’s favorite Marvel character, Deadpool. As you probably know, Ryan plays Deadpool in the film franchise.
John carries a bathtub on these charity walks to represent the invisible burden that weighs on those who struggle with their mental health.
After learning about John, Ryan arranged to meet him for “the proper Hollywood Deadpool treatment,” where he was completely transformed into the character — complete with special FX makeup.
The two men sat down for a chat, which is when Ryan asked John to talk about Jake.
“It was so funny,” John said, fighting back tears. “So funny, and we did everything together. He was my first child, he was just everything to me.”
