Friends and family of a Fentress County boy who had brain cancer are celebrating his life. After battling cancer for nearly 7 years, he has passed away at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

People in Fentress County knew 11 year old Alex Larue as “Super Alex.”

“He’s the sweetest kid anybody could meet. Anytime he was around anybody new, he never met a stranger,” said Darla Ardziejewski, Alex’s mother.

Alex didn’t have it easy. At 5-years-old, he developed a brain tumor the size of a grapefruit.

Just recently, doctors believe he developed pneumonia. That condition put Alex at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital for nearly a week. His parents decided to put him on a ventilator when he wasn’t breathing well, but before that was done, he passed away.

Close friends and family are helping Alex’s parents get through this tough time. Friends say they’ll never forget the extraordinary little boy.

“There’s something special about him. He wasn’t just a little 11 year old boy, it was Alex. He had the biggest heart of any 11 year old I ever knew,” said Andrea Woodruff, a family friend.

Alex’s parents are amazed by the community’s support, but will miss their little hero more than anything.