News Cut: January 12, 2013 Archive

Blake Cognata dead at 17

Posted at 5:20 PM on January 12, 2013 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)

Blake Cognata, the New York high schooler who was surprised earlier this week by a call from Minnesota Viking star Adrian Peterson, has died.

He battled Ewing's sarcoma for nearly a year, and passed away Saturday morning, two days before his 18th birthday.

On Monday, friends launched a Twitter effort to get Cognata's favorite player -- Peterson -- to call him. Ninety minutes after the first message was posted, Peterson was on the phone with the boy.

On Wednesday, a package of gifts from Peterson arrived at the hospital.

Pain pain go away come again another day

— Blake Cognata (@BlakeCognata) January 5, 2013