I didn't know him either, but I will still miss him. At least he's in a good place now. I bet he can run and jump and do whatever he wants in Heaven. No more paralysis to hold him back. He was a great person.
I'm with LilMiss. He was an advocate for research which means that his death will be a loss for the world. But, I can't actually miss someone that I don't know on a personal level.