Lost cause?

I have a student in my classroom that is turning out to be a real challenge for me. I have always prided myself on the fact that kids generally like being in my classroom and will do almost anything I ask. I develop strong relationships with my students and that is basically the extent of my classroom management system - no colored cards to be flipped, no names on the board, no charts... But this guy is a puzzle to be solved. He appears to have no motivation whatsoever. It has made me wonder if this is what it is like to teach in middle or high school when kids don't "care." I've seen a lot of interesting kids in my career but I've never seen anyone so young and so unengaged in the learning process. He doesn't really like school because it is just "work, work, work." I can look at him any time of day and see him just staring off into space. He doesn't seem to care about either rewards or consequences. He does respond to verbal prompts but unfortunately I can't stand my his desk 6 hours a day and remind him to get back to his work. Notes home are either not taken out of the backpack for days on end or read with no response from the parents. When I have talked to other teachers about him I get the rolled eyes and "Oh that family." The general consensus is that I won't get anywhere with the parents so why try. It has made me stop to think about comments I make about students or parents. I hope I have never communicated that any of my students wasn't worth the effort. The funny part is what happened on Friday. I gave him a note to take home and he asked what it said. I told him it said that I was worried about him and he gave me a huge hug. Maybe he just needs to be noticed and shown that someone cares about him.