Patriots Superfan Jake Silver Lost His Battle With Cancer

Jake Silver, the 18-year-old Patriots fan from Ashland whose story touched Patriot Nation deeply, passed away this morning surrounded by his loving family.

Jake's dad Robert Silver posted on his Facebook page this evening that Jake passed away this morning.

In his words, he wrote:

"His health declined quickly over the last week. He really couldn’t communicate too well since Monday. When I was with him Tuesday night, Jake, Halle and I watched Wheel of Fortune as we often did when we’d get together. Jake was mainly just sleeping at this point but this was the last puzzle (pictured below). I had to leave the room so not to cry in front of him. I sleep with the tv on. I woke up this morning and it had randomly changed to Discovery channel or National Geographic where they were doing an aerial view of South Africa and it was specifically covering Krueger National Park and the wildlife. Jake and family had spent a weeks vacation this past August there. It was one of his favorite trips ever."

It was only a few weeks ago that Jake had traveled to Atlanta in hopes of attending the Super Bowl to watch the Patriots win. Friends and family had raised the money to send him on his "bucket list" trip. However, he was too sick to go to the game and ended up giving his tickets to the nurses that were caring for him in the Atlanta hospital at which he was staying.

Although Jake was not able to be at the game, he was over-the-top excited about the Pats winning the game and grabbing ring No. 6.