BY BRUCE SCHREINER

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

The 13-year-old Kentuckian died Wednesday night, eliciting an outpouring from his heartbroken followers.

The announcement of Lane's death came on his Facebook page, which had 369,000 followers as of Thursday.

University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari was among the many whose thoughts and prayers were with Lane's family.

"Let's all give one more thumbs up for Lane," Calipari tweeted.

Lane was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, and some Cardinals fans held up signs in support of Lane during the baseball playoffs.

Lane was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in 2010. He completed chemotherapy treatments late that year, but had a relapse in summer 2011.

The Thumbs-up for Lane campaign, started as a way to encourage the boy and his family, spread worldwide on social media. His followers included country music stars, athletes, politicians and Ernie Brown--the cable television star known as "The Turtleman."

Brown was Lane's favorite celebrity. The homespun star known for getting rid of unwanted reptiles and other critters with his bare hands had visited Lane's home in western Kentucky a few weeks ago. They hit it off from the start, Brown recalled Thursday.

Brown said Lane was an inspiration to others.

"People really looked up to him," he added. "He sure made his mark in the world and he'll never be forgotten."