The world lost a great LSU fan on Saturday morning when Alabama's Sid Ortis, a Mountain Brook teenager whose battle with cancer for more than a year grabbed the nation's attention, passed away.

The 16-year-old Ortis passed away early this morning, with his mother, Lynn Ortis, posting the following message on Facebook.

"Today around 7:24 a.m., Sid won his race and is in Heaven celebrating,'' she posted. "We are so proud of our son for not getting bitter, living life, trusting Jesus until the end. Please pray for us as we learn to live without him."

Ortis won over hearts across the country during his battle with cancer, and Tiger fans took on a special relationship with Ortis because he was a faithful LSU fan despite living in Alabama. During the past year, Ortis and LSU head coach Les Miles grew close, often speaking on the phone and even meeting in person in Tiger Stadium this year.