Nine-year old Maverick Bench of Kila, a small rural town outside of Kalispell who touched the hearts of thousands of supporters, lost his long and courageous fight on Monday.
Maverick passed away early this morning at Children’s Hospital of Colorado where he had been receiving critical care since June.
Maverick’s hardship started in May when he was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia - a rare condition in which the body stops producing enough new blood cells.
During his fight, Maverick underwent two bone marrow transplants, heavy doses of chemotherapy, and a world of severe complications.
Over the past several months, Maverick’s fight went viral on social media, with more than 18,000 people following his Facebook page “Maverick’s Army” for daily updates.
Maverick’s story reached the hearts of followers from all over the world, receiving letters of encouragement from as far away as Germany, Australia and Spain.
He is survived by his mom Colleen, dad Logan, and four brothers. His father posted to the Maverick's Army page this morning: "Our Hero is now in Heaven."
