The story of R2-KT

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November 13, 2004. An ordinary day, but not for Albin Johnson, founder of the 501 Legion, that imaginary division of the armies of the Star Wars Empire, whose mission is to go to charitable causes to raise funds.

On that day, their young daughter Katie is diagnosed with a potentially lethal brain tumor. The little girl has barely had time to live.

As the disease progresses, word spreads and more than 4,000 members of the 501st Legion and Star Wars fans mobilize around the world to dedicate themselves to bringing hope to a lost cause. You don't always win.

On any other day, Johnson goes to church and notices that the windows are shaped like an R2 unit, his daughter Katie's favorite. Then the idea arises: why not build an R2 to watch over Katie while she sleeps just like R2-D2 watched over Padme in episode II of the film saga? The idea soon takes shape and Allie, Albin's eldest daughter, suggests that the name of the robot be R2-KT, the last two letters being a sound game that evokes the name of her sick sister and that its color change from classic blue to blue. pink, the color of the little girl's taste.

Start a race against time. In April 2005, Albin meets Jerry Greene, president and founder of the R2 Builders Club, a group who, knowing the story of the little girl, immediately decides to focus on the construction of this android that must be fully operational, as well as on the organization of a great campaign for the collection of the necessary parts. While it is devastating to understand that Katie's cancer is irreversible and progresses relentlessly. One of the builders modifies parts of his own R2 so that they become pink so he can give it to the girl while the final one is finished. She hugs the robot in an image that is now famous throughout the world.

On August 9, 2005, surrounded by her loved ones and watched over by R2-KT, Katie Johnson closes her sweet eyes forever. Less than a year later, on July 8, 2006, the robot is finished and becomes a symbol of hope for children afflicted with the infamous disease.

There are very few units of R2-KT in the world. One of them is in Buenos Aires, Argentina! All of them to remind us that...  the fight continues, we have to fight for the next Katie