It's not often that the public hears of a positive outcome from a mass social media movement, but a Fredericksburg boy battling cancer has been given a second chance after his community issued a call for help.
Josh Hardy's school principal describes how their community rallied to support the family and convince a pharmaceutical company to answer that call.
Marjorie Pinkersly is Principal of Hugh Mercer Elementary Fredericksburg, where 7-year old Josh Hardy attends. She was elated when news broke that Chimerix Pharmaceutical agreed to give Josh an experimental drug that could cure a virus he acquired after a bone marrow transplant. The drug still had to undergo clinical trials and the company initially refused. But Pinkersly says thousands who heard Josh's story rolled up their sleeves to help—including one local restaurant.
Pinkersly says Josh's mom has led the charge, and his classmates joined the cause. She adds that the mood had been somber but that changed overnight.
The company says Josh will be the first patient in a new, FDA-approved study. He is a four-time cancer survivor.