Chance Harman, the 4-year-old son of Floyd County High School boys' basketball coach Brian Harman, died Friday at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center in Durham, N.C., from complications stemming from a brain tumor.

Chance had been undergoing treatments for cancer at Duke since the malignant tumor was discovered in December. An MRI on Thursday indicated the cancer had spread and could no longer be effectively treated.

"It's a big loss for the community," said Roger Hollandsworth, a Floyd County resident and a close friend of the Harman family. "The little fellow has really tied the community together."

Chance is the second Floyd County child with ties to Floyd County High School to die from brain cancer this year. Three-year-old Joshua Cantrell, the grandson of Buffaloes' girls' basketball coach Alan Cantrell, died Feb. 26 at Duke.

The two boys, who were diagnosed with malignant tumors about two weeks apart, have served as rallying points for the Floyd community, which has raised thousands of dollars and launched the Web site www.samefight.org as a show of solidarity and support.

"Prayers have been answered, Chance is not suffering anymore," Brian Harman wrote in a statement released by the family Friday evening. "He fought to the very last minute; I am just so thankful that he was our son."

In January, Chance was found to have an atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, known as ATRT, a rare tumor in the cerebellum found most commonly in children younger than 2.

Chance initially responded well to chemotherapy and radiation at Duke. He had about a month of treatments left when his prognosis took a turn for the worse on June 21. An MRI showed the tumor had decreased in size, but the cancer cells had grown.

The Harmans had hoped to possibly return home to Floyd on Friday morning but delayed their trip when their son's condition worsened.

"You always don't want to see your child suffer," Hollandsworth said. "The suffering's over. He's in a much better place now."

Maberry Funeral Home in Floyd will be handling arrangements. A funeral is planned at Topeco Church of the Brethren in Willis, the statement released by the family said. A time has not been set.

Brian Harman, who took a leave of absence from his coaching duties when Chance fell ill, is expected to return to the bench next season, said Dustin Hollandsworth, a 2006 Floyd County graduate who played under Harman.

Dustin Hollandsworth, who visited Chance twice in the hospital and exchanged text messages with Brian Harman on Friday hours after the boy's death, said Chance's impact will live on with Floyd County residents.

"We'll always have him in our mind," he said. "I know I will."