LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB)---With candles lit, a group of people are remembered 13-year-old Lane Goodwin at Waterfront Park in Louisville on Friday evening.
The McLean County teen lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday.
"Just tugged at my heartstrings and just to see the strength that this family had show...not only Lane, but his parents and brother, was an inspiration," says Kristy Black-Denney, who helped organize the vigil.
These supporters are strangers to Lane Goodwin, but it's his story that has touched them.
"It touched my heart and I followed it ever since. I've been hooked to the story and their family," says Maria Spencer, who helped organize the event.
Goodwin gained national attention, when a 'Thumbs up for Lane' campaign was started by friends and family to support him.
Everyone from athletes, coaches, musicians and others posted photos online to show their support.
In late September, we reached out to Lane and his family through Facetime.
"How are you," we asked Lane. "Fine," he replied, before giving us a thumbs up.
Lane spoke with us from bed about his many supporters across the country.
He was fighting a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer that he was diagnosed with in March of 2010.
"He has Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma," says George Goodwin, Lane's father.
His father told us Lane and the family were preparing for what may happen.
"He accepts where his fate is. Where his role is and he has a pretty strong belief," George Goodwin told WDRB.
Lane passed away Wednesday, but with nearly 400,000 followers on Facebook, his goal of ending childhood cancer lives on.
"I hope one day we're going to live in a world with little kids where they may go to their mom and dad and say what's cancer. I heard it but I don't know what it is. Maybe we'll abolish it," says Mark Fleshman, who attended Friday evening's vigil.
Visitation for Lane Goodwin is Sunday from 2-8 p.m. with a prayer service at 6 p.m. His visitation is Monday from 11:30am-3:30pm with the funeral at 3:30pm.
All services will be held at Calhoun Baptist Church in Calhoun, Kentucky and will be streamed live online.
In Lieu of flowers the Lane Goodwin family request that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Thumbs Up For Lane Goodwin Childhood Cancer Foundation, Inc. Care of Independence Bank PO Box 39 Livermore, Ky 42352.
Copyright 2012 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
