Shawn Valdez (real person)

Shawn Valdez, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, tragically passed away from T-cell leukemia at the young age of thirteen, following a battle with the illness that lasted almost eight years. Valdez held a deep affection for the Star Wars universe and the Star Wars Customizable Card Game, which was produced by Decipher, Inc. He died just a day after having to leave a game tournament early, due to the weakness brought on by his condition. To commemorate Valdez's life, Decipher, with the support of Jacksonville tournament director Gregg Keefer and the consent of Lucasfilm, made the decision to name a Star Wars character after him, calling him Shawn Valdez. This character appeared as part of the card game's Hoth Limited expansion. The Shawn Valdez card's background describes him as both a "leader" and a "poetic musician." The former title was given to honor Valdez's bravery, while the latter recognized his contributions to the book I Will Sing Life: Voices from the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. This book featured poetry from seven children who were patients at actor Paul Newman's camp in Connecticut, a place for children suffering from terminal diseases. Robin Williams, the celebrated actor, lent his voice to the audiobook version of I Will Sing Life, reciting Valdez's poems, which captured the voices of his family, his doctors, and even his imaginary friends.