On Father’s Day, Hilton Head dad honors son lost to cancer — and those still fighting it

More than a year after cancer claimed the life of 10-year-old Alex Arrieta of Hilton Head Island, his parents continue to fight for their son’s legacy and for the children like him who are battling pediatric cancer across the country.

Alex was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in February 2015, and after some six months of debilitating chemotherapy, went into remission.

But in January 2016, the family learned the cancer had returned.

While Alex was undergoing treatment, his stuffed lamb, Lamby, was always by his side. And after his short remission turned into a relapse, Alex told his parents he didn’t want letters or gifts from celebrities this time around. Instead, he wanted thousands of stuffed lambs to send to every child in the U.S. diagnosed with pediatric cancer.

That same night, Alex’s parents, Brandon and Caroline Arrieta, went home and created the logo for a group that would soon become their calling — the nonprofit organization Lambs for Life.

After Alex died in April 2016, his family and the community struggled to cope. But his parents knew they had to continue to fight on Alex’s behalf.

The Arrietas began assembling “Lamby Pack” care packages and rounding up a team to help with distribution. Lambs for Life soon became an official nonprofit organization, and a chairman and board of directors was assembled.

On Sunday, Lambs for Life is hosting a Community Birthday Bash to formally launch the organization and raise awareness for its national hospital tour.

“We started thinking ‘What type of cool event should we do annually?’ ” said Brandon Arrieta, who is the executive director of Lambs for Life. “We came up with the idea of doing a straight-up, huge birthday party on Alex’s birthday every year.”

The fundraiser will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, which would have been Alex’s 12th birthday, at one of his favorite spots on the island — Adventure Cove. The free, public event will include mini golf for children, live music, a bounce house, a dunk tank, face painting, and plenty of food and birthday cake.

Brandon said the event will bring Alex’s journey “full circle” because he spent his last day on Hilton Head at the mini golf course with his two best friends. That same day, Alex picked out the items he wanted included in the “Lamby Pack.”

At the end of the golf game that day, Alex went to trade in his tokens and claim his prizes. Looking up at the rows of gifts, Alex picked out the items he thought would make other children smile and laugh in the most difficult of times. The gifts included whoopee cushions, flying fist toys, barrels of monkeys and candy. Combine all that with a soft, handmade flannel lamb pillowcase, and you have a package to make painful hospital nights a bit more comfortable.

Brandon is beginning a national hospital tour in July. So far, he’s scheduled to visit 26 hospitals across four states — Georgia, Florida, Ohio and South Carolina — through the end of November. Brandon will drop off enough Lamby Packs for each childhood cancer patient at a particular hospital. He will also talk with local media to raise awareness about Lambs for Life and meet with elected officials to discuss funding and education for pediatric cancer.

While Brandon is excited about the group’s potential, it’s often hard to celebrate the accomplishment, he said.

“It’s been a double-edged sword,” Brandon said. “As much as it might be therapeutic and helpful, it’s also pure torture, because doing this truly is the hardest job I’ve ever had in my life.”

After deciding to hold the fundraiser on Alex’s birthday, Brandon admitted he was unaware it fell on Father’s Day this year.

“I don’t know how this thing is going to go Sunday,” he said about how he will cope with his emotions.

“That’s going to be tough for me, but we’re just going to have to get through it.”

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 1:10 PM with the headline "On Father’s Day, Hilton Head dad honors son lost to cancer — and those still fighting it."