Josh Hardy Allowed to Join Drug Trial After Family's Social Media Push

A 7-year-old Virginia boy battling an a deadly infection will be allowed to join a drug trial that could save his life.

Josh Hardy contracted an adenovirus -- a rare viral disease -- during a bone marrow transplant and desperately needed a drug made by pharmaceutical company Chimerix. But the company wouldn't allow Josh to join the trial, citing the drug's lack of federal approval. So his community took to social media to publicize their fight with the hashtag #SaveJosh.

Josh is a first grader from Fredericksburg, but right now, he's at St. Jude's Children's Hospital battling the infection. He's already battled cancer four times. His heart and kidneys are failing.

Chimerix announced Tuesday that it would allow Josh to join the trial.

"We were all so excited," Josh's grandmother, Mae Station said."I screamed when I heard the news from my daughter. We just know that they changed their minds and decided to release it and that's all that really matters."

The family hopes the drug will clear up his infection within a couple of weeks.

His mother, Aimee Hardy, also praised the decision on her Facebook page.

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