Kennedy High School sophomore Drew Wall, whose five-year fight with cancer touched countless lives, died at his Cedar Rapids home Monday afternoon.

He was 16 years old.

Drew had been hospitalized the past two weeks at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after suffering a cardiac arrest at home. Revived by his parents, Robin and Doug, he was air-lifted to Iowa City.

Already weakened by a recent recurrence of cancerous tumors in his lung and leg, he was diagnosed then as having contracted pneumonia and a virus that could not be stopped.

He had been connected to a feeding tube and a ventilator to help his breathing since being hospitalized. Family members said he had been unable to communicate except by a blinking of the eyes and gentle hand squeezes.

Although his condition seemed to be improving gradually, his mother Robin said it took a turn for the worse over the weekend.

A CT scan performed on Sunday showed that the cancer had spread extensively, further in the lungs and into his abdomen. It caused his digestive system to completely shut down.

Robin Wall said her son was able to communicate that he wanted to go home.

University Hospitals arranged for hospice services at the family home, and Drew was brought back to Cedar Rapids by ambulance at about 2 p.m. Monday. He died shortly after arriving home.

Robin said he was surrounded by family members and appeared to be resting comfortably.

“He was blinking a few times, and I thought he might be waking up,” she wrote on his CaringBridge site Monday night.

“I hugged him and told him how much I love him and how much we all love him. And he was gone.”

An active athlete as a youth, Drew first noticed leg pains in 2008 while a fifth grader at Madison Elementary.

A cancerous tumor was discovered and he underwent the first in a long series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments at University Hospitals. Doctors amputated his right leg below the knee when he was 11 years old.

“I knew it would change my life,” he said later of the decision to go ahead with the operation. “But I didn’t want to have a limp all my life and not be able to do the things I wanted to do.”

Drew was fitted with what he called his “bionic leg,” a prosthetic that allowed him to continue most of his activities.

His life since then, family members said, was a continual roller-coaster of clear check-ups and a recurrence of tumors. Most recently, it had spread to his lungs.

Still, he maintained straight A’s at Taft Middle School and at Kennedy.

“It’s not easy,” Drew once said. “But I take life one day at a time and make the best of it.”

He played on the Cougar golf team as a freshman and had planned to play this fall as well until he was hospitalized in late summer when new tumors were found. His golf teammates dedicated their win in the district tournament this year to Drew.

In addition to maintaining as normal a teenage life as possible, he used his extensive familiarity with University Hospitals and its staff to become an unofficial spokesman for the hospital in a variety of public appearances.

He was active in Children’s Miracle Network and served on the youth advisory board of the Children’s Hospital now nearing completion. Drew served as inspiration to Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz and his players.

“He is a hero,” said UI vice president of medicine Dr. Jean Robillard at the annual football kick-off banquet two years ago. “He is a true winner for his courage and determination.”