Seven-year-old Josh Hardy is likely to die soon.

The little boy, who has been battling cancer since he was 9 months old, is in an intensive care unit in Memphis, T.N., where his heart and kidneys are rapidly failing him. He vomits blood several times an hour as his family gathers around him, bracing themselves for the worst but hoping for a miracle (via CNN).

A miracle, it turns out, might not too far away. In fact, it could come in the form a drug called brincidofovir, made by the drug company Chimerix in Durham, N.C.

It's a drug that could save his life.

But it won't, because Chimerix won't let Josh have it since it hasn't been approved by the FDA yet. Giving it to Josh, they say, means delaying getting it to other patients who need it, too.

Sometimes the drug companies do say yes to "compasionate use" requests for their yet-to-be-approved drugs. According to CNN, 974 compassionate use arrangements in fiscal year 2013 were approved.

But sometimes they say no, and they've said no to Josh Hardy.

Hardy's parents are begging the drug company to change their minds.

When asked how he will feel when Josh dies, Chimerix President Kenneth Moch says he'll feel horrible and heartbroken.

But he's still not going to change his mind.

According to Moch, each compassionate use case costs the company $50,000, which usually isn't covered by insurance, and requires manpower their small company cannot afford to redirect from their other efforts.

"Our son will die without this drug," said Todd Hardy, Josh's father. "We're begging them to give it to us."

The Hardys have taken to Facebook and the media to get their son's story out. They've asked people to tweet to drug company @chimerix, telling them to "open their hearts."

Members of "Josh's Army" have been tweeting endlessly, hoping that their cries will heed a response:

— Jamieson Becker (@JamiesonBecker) March 11, 2014

Others have tweeted out email addresses of the company's board members. CNN reports Chimerix executives say they've received physical threats.

Moch says he has read these tweets and said he is heartbroken, but the issue is complex and unsuitable for a 144-character-long debate.

You can visit the "Save Josh" Facebook page here.