Will Roberts, an Alabama teenager diagnosed with stage four bone cancer last year, has passed away. His story gained national attention after he turned to social media in search of an experimental cure.
Videos by Suggest
Roberts’ family announced on Facebook that the 15-year-old died just after midnight on July 23 at a San Diego hospital where he had been receiving treatment. His mother, Brittney, said Will’s cancer had progressed further into his brain, affecting his mental capacity. She and her husband Jason made the difficult decision to end his suffering.
“Will is finally ringing his forever cancer-free bell as he entered the gates of Heaven,” his mother wrote in part.
His mother added that she and her husband were by Will’s side when he passed.
“There isn’t a mother alive who could ever find the right words to write a post like this. I have stared at this screen, started over more times than I can count, and the truth is… there are no words big enough for a loss like this,” she wrote.
Per Tuscaloosa News, Roberts first came to national attention in April after he accessed his mother’s Facebook account and posted a plea for help finding a cancer drug to treat his condition.
The video went viral, prompting responses from lawmakers and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who connected the family with a treatment facility in Santa Monica, California, where Roberts received a drug called Delta Rex G.
Will Roberts’ Mother on His Passing: ‘Will Loved Hard, Fought Harder, and Never Stopped Believing’
His mother expressed heartfelt gratitude to the thousands who supported them throughout their journey. She lovingly reminded the world that Will was so much more than his diagnosis.
“Will was the funniest person in the room,” she wrote. “Will had a personality that could light up a hospital floor. [He] was stubborn enough to drive us crazy one minute and make us laugh the next. Will loved hard, fought harder, and never stopped believing there was another mountain to climb.”
Meanwhile, tributes poured in for Will Roberts following his passing.
“I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of young Will Roberts,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said. “Alabama will remember Will as a brave young man whose courage inspired us all. God has called him home, where he is healed and with our Savior. Join me in praying for the Roberts family during this unimaginable loss.”
In a poignant coincidence, Will passed away on his mother’s birthday.
“What a beautiful gift that God gave me today on my birthday,” she wrote. “A celebration that there is no more cancer and Will entered into the kingdom of Heaven!!!! What better gift could I have received than to know my baby boy is sitting with Jesus and is cancer-free.”