It was a long, difficult battle, and Niko DiNovo never stopped fighting.

Family, friends and people who have been supporting Niko for the past year and a half have been following daily updates posted in a private Facebook group.

Since the crash, Niko's aunt has posted every day, detailing how he was doing. That group has been flooded with condolences, messages of support for the family, and memories Niko's loved ones will hold close during this difficult time. 

Monday, Niko's Aunt Davina Resciniti posted "We sent Niko home to God together surrounded by love." Resciniti reached out to Spectrum News this morning, saying her family is not ready to speak yet, but told us that yesterday was the most difficult day for her family.

"Yesterday was by far the most difficult day yet for my family as we all gathered around Our Champ," Resciniti said in a statement. "We exchanged the gifts he has provided us. The #NikoGifts - we shared them with him and promised to keep paying them forward. He made us fearless so we are not afraid . Our trust in God and knowing he has big plans for Niko in heaven helped get us through yesterday. We will no longer pray for Niko- we will pray to Niko. The amount of love and support we felt from home truly saved us. We love you all and will be bringing our boy home."

She said they were all gathered around Niko, sharing with him all the things they will cherish about him.

Niko was a student at Colonie Central High School. Superintendent Jonathan W. Buhner said the school has counselors available to speak with students and staff.

"We are very saddened by the death of our Colonie Central High School student and Garnet Raider Niko Dinovo," Buhner's statement read. "Our student body has actively supported his recovery for these many months. This has been a long and difficult time for his family and his friends at our high school. We will have counselors available at the high school in the coming days to help our students and staff cope with their grief. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Niko and his entire family."

Last week, his family asked people to share the gifts Niko has given them by posting to social media with the hashtag #NikosGifts. Many have said his courage and strength have taught them to never give up.