Social Media Sensation Dies of Cancer at 13

WKMS | By The Associated Press,

Whitney Jones

Published October 19, 2012 at 7:36 AM CDT

The western Kentucky boy known for his thumbs-up campaign has lost his battle with cancer. The announcement of his death was posted on his Facebook page, which had 369,000 followers. 13-year-old Lane Goodwin from Beech Grove died Wednesday. The Thumbs-up for Lane campaign has social media fans from all over the world including country music stars, Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari and The Turtleman, Lane’s favorite celebrity. Lane was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and fans held signs supporting Lane during the baseball playoffs. Lane was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2010 and had two relapses.

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Whitney Jones

Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.

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