MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- A Maryville teen suffering from leukemia died Friday afternoon after friends and family helped him fulfill his final days with a wish to fish. Chad Burns, 19, had been fighting the disease since being diagnosed in April 2009.

Before his death (Previous story): Maryville teen to fish his final days

What would you do if someone told you that you only had two weeks left to live? For one Maryville teen, the answer is to go fishing.

"I just love being outside. I'm an outdoorsman, and I'm not really going to get to hunt this year, so fishing's my other option," said Chad Burns, 19 who has been fighting leukemia since April 2009.

Last week, he said goodbye to hospital beds, painful chemotherapy and bone marrow treatments, and came home.

"I mean I wanted to spend the rest of how long I have, cause I don't know how long that will be, outside the hospital,” he said.

On Thursday, Chad's patrol of supporters sponsored a spaghetti dinner in his honor at Louisville Landing Marina. Chad arrived in style with a military and police escort. The William Blount High School dance team was also on hand as the community gathered donations, friends, and tackle.

"We do want to celebrate him. He's an incredibly strong and courageous young man," said Rick Carver, who helped organized Thursday's event.

Friends and family said it was time to make some memories with Chad.

"We were talking about it, and he said if he had to choose to live a life for this long, he's happy he lived the life he did," said Sarah Carver, Chad's girlfriend of three years.

Now Chad worries about worms and surrounds himself with love.

"You need God to make it through,” he said. “You need prayers, you need to pray and you need to know that people care about you."

As hundreds turned up to visit, Burns told Volunteer TV News that he certainly felt that people do care about him.

“I mean I am sad sometimes,” he said, “but I just push that away and try to have as much fun as I can.”

When asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said “for my fun spirit.”