Santa Maria family raising awareness about childhood cancer after losing three-year-old to the disease
ORCUTT, Calif. - After losing a three-year-old child to cancer 11 years ago, a Santa Maria family has become committed to raising money and awareness in the fight against the disease.
The Carter family is hoping their story will inspire others to join the cause and contribute to a fundraiser set to take place at Righetti High School tomorrow on Friday, Sept. 1, which is the first day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Garhett Carter was just two-years-old in early 2012 when he was diagnosed with the disease.
"In March we found out that he had stage four neuroblastoma, and at time, I don't what it is now, but it was a really rare form of childhood cancer," said his father Rhett Carter. "There was 50 cases worldwide per year, so they didn't have a lot of answers in how to deal with it."
Since Garhett was battling an extremely aggressive form of cancer, he underwent extensive treatment immediately, which included over the next few months, radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
"We went through the fight," said Carter. "Garhett fought it for seven months, and I think it was October 10th when they told us they've done all the treatments that they could do, and it kept coming right back. It would come back too fast where his body couldn't recover from the fight and there's nothing else we can do."
Garhett's battle was extremely difficult for the entire family, and especially for his brother Cash, who was three years older.
"Me and him were really close," said Cash Carter. "We loved to play football together and wrestle together. He was strong and he was tough and he loved sports just like I did. We pretty much did everything together. We were inseparable pretty much."
Before Garhett's diagnosis, his father described him has a strong-minded, energetic child who espeically loved Batman and was always on the go.
"He was a kid that wouldn't hold still," said Rhett Carter. "I remember we couldn't keep him in his crib at night. He would jump out of his crib and would fall. We would hear him hit the ground and he would come running in the bedroom. He loved everything with Cash, him and Cash wrestling around. He loved the speed around sports. When we would watch on TV, he would copy the football stuff he would see on TV."
Garhett fought the disease courageously, enduring countless trips to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara and Children's Hospital Los Angeles during the course of his treatment.
"All he would wear is his Batman cape and mask around the hospital, and even to this day, people still remember him from walking around the hospital with Batman, and he had to roll his little thing around when he was getting his treatment, and wearing his Batman cape and mask, and he wouldn't want to take that off, and so we always called him our little Batman," said Rhett Carter. "He kept wanting to play, Even in the hospital, he kept wanting to run around. Sometimes he was too sick, but he would also have this big appetite. He love chocolate milk and pancakes."
On Oct. 15, 2012, seven months after being diagnosed, three-year-old Garhett Carter passed away, surrounded by his family.
"It was hard to process since I was a six-year-old kid," said Cash Carter. "I really couldn't take it all in in what was happening. It was hard."
Devastated by the loss of their son and brother, Rhett Carter said Garhett's death soon became inspiration for the entire family to make a difference in the lives of others fighting the disease.
"That was our thing from the very beginning, is how do we make something so horrible positive, and how do we make it something to bring us together, and bring positive from it," said Rhett Carter. "We started sharing and doing fundraising to find that positivity in this horrible thing that I wouldn't wish on anyone."
Over the past 11 years, the Carters have held several different types of fundraisers, helping generate thousands of dollars, which they have donated to families in the same situation they once faced, as well to the hospitals where Garhett received treatment.
"Why are we doing this?" said Rhett Carter. "The why is so there can be a change so other people don't have to experience this type of thing of holding their child in their arms and watching them pass away because there's no more answers to how to fight this disease or cure this disease."
In the years following Garhett's death, Rhett has since become the principal at Orcutt Academy High School, while Cash is now a senior in high school and starting quarterback for the Righetti varsity football team.
While its been 11 years since Garhett lost his battle with cancer, Cash still keeps his younger brother in his heart and mind at all times.
"Every sport I play, I try and get the number three," said Cash Carter, referring to the age Garhett was at the time of his death. "I have a number three necklace that I wear. I try and honor him in every way that I can. I send a kiss up to him and I do it sometimes after touchdowns and then last year I wore a shirt. It was a caring for Garhett shirt and it had Batman on it and I wore that every game last year."
This year, Cash is off to a hot start on the football field, throwing six touchdown passes over the first two weeks of the season, including four last Friday in a thrilling last second 38-36 come-from-behind win over Justin Garza High School in Fresno.
For his performance, Cash Carter was named the first Male Athlete of the Week award winner for the 2023-24 school year at the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table this past Monday.
The Carter's latest fundraiser will be held in cooperation with the Righetti High School Boosters Club tomorrow during Righetti's "Battle of the Helmet" showdown with Pioneer Valley.
The "Be Bold, Wear Gold" fundraiser encourages fans to wear gold to the stadium, which is the official awareness color for childhood cancer.
"It's important to me because I know the pain of what families have to go through and what I had to go through," said Cash Carter. "So raising that money to help out and try to find a cure so it doesn't have to happen to someone else is important to me because I wouldn't wish that upon anybody else."
The Carters are hoping the fundraiser is a big success, so they can direct funds to those families that are in need, as well as continue to aid in treatment and research against childhood cancer.
"I'm really proud of our family and all of our family and the way that we honor Garhett, and I'm really proud of Cash and the way that he remembers his brother and tries to be a better person everyday and live life the way the best his can in honor of Garhett.," said Rhetti Carter "We know Garhett is watching us and Batman forever."
The Be Bold, Wear Gold fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 1 at Warrior Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
