Radcliff, KY (WDRB) -- September 10th, 2012 marks two years since a 6-year-old boy died from cancer.
Around her neck, Cheryl Alonso wears a pendant picture of her son Isaiah, taken just two weeks before he died. She says, "It's really unimaginable what parents who lose children have to go through every day. We have to go on and it's a struggle. I know he'd want us to keep his memory alive. We are definitely doing that."
Isaiah was a smiley-faced, fun-loving kid who enjoyed wearing superhero costumes like Batman and The Flash. But he died of cancer with no warning.
Alonso says, "He had T-cell Lymphoma and sadly it wasn't found until after he collapsed and never regained consciousness. He was never treated for it."
Now, on what the family calls the "angelversary" of his death, Isaiah's Adventureland of Fun becomes Radcliff Elementary School's first playground. It's red, white, and blue with plenty of room to climb -- something Isaiah loved to do.
A grassroots effort by his parents and the community raised money so students at his school will have somewhere to play once the cement dries and the mulch is spread. $24,000 has been raised and spent so far on the project.
Vinnie Alonso, Isaiah's father says, "We are so small as a community and the community is very poor. We came up with some funds. The most important thing, it's only phase one. We have so much more to do to provide for the children."
Memorial bricks will line a walkway and help raise money to finish the project. Organizers are still trying to raise $12,000 for three more pieces of playground equipment.
Cheryl Alonso says, "It's amazing that the community was able to come together and helps us raise this money, to give this to his school in his memory."
The school is hoping to have the playground open later this week.
For information on purchasing a memorial brick, click here.
