Joshua Cantrell’s young life ended at 4 p.m. Monday at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Carolina. The three-year-old is one of two Floyd County boys suffering from a rare brain tumor that afflicts fewer than 100 a year nationwide.

Both are related to basketball coaches in Floyd County. Cantrell was the grandson of FCHS girls’ varsity coach Alan Cantrell while four-year-old Chance Harman, son of boys’ varsity coach Brian Harman, still fights for his life at the same center.

Losing a loved one is never easy. Losing one so young is even more difficult. County residents have rallied behind the two families with prayers and financial support, contributing thousands of dollars through more than a dozen fundraisers.

Our prayers remain with both the Cantrell and Harman families.