A Missouri City family that lost a 12-year-old son to cancer has delivered more than 3,500 Rubik's Cubes to pediatric patients across the country.

Fort Bend ISD highlighted the work of Brian and Angie Perry and their nonprofit, Ethan's Ohana, as part of the district's "Turn It Gold" campaign, named for the gold ribbon symbolizing childhood cancer awareness. The district published the feature on Friday, Sept. 25, and shared it on X on Monday, Sept. 28, as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month drew to a close.

Ethan Perry attended Fort Bend ISD schools from kindergarten through seventh grade, including Sugar Mill Elementary, Jan Schiff Elementary, Sienna Crossing Elementary and Baines Middle School. He was a member of the Junior National Honor Society, played violin in his middle school orchestra and enjoyed sports and creating inventions.

Ethan was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma shortly after his 12th birthday in July 2020. He died eight months later in March 2021.

After his cancer relapsed, Ethan was transferred to UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was treated by pediatric lymphoma specialist Dr. Branko Cuglievan and a multidisciplinary team, according to MD Anderson's CancerWise blog.

A Rubik's Cube and a legacy

The Rubik's Cube program started with a small moment in a hospital room. A child life specialist handed Ethan a cube during treatment. He solved it within a few hours.

"Doctors and nurses would come into his room, and he would hand them the cube, have them mix it up, and then solve it right in front of them," Brian Perry said in the FBISD feature. "That was Ethan. Even while he was going through something incredibly difficult, he was learning something new, challenging himself and having a little fun with the people around him."

The cubes became a source of focus and helped Ethan's hand-eye coordination during treatment. His parents now distribute them to other young patients through Ethan's Ohana, the nonprofit they founded after his death.

The name comes from the movie Lilo & Stitch, which Ethan loved. "Ohana" means family in Hawaiian. The nonprofit, registered in Missouri City, works to ensure no child or family faces pediatric cancer alone.

Brian and Angie Perry also joined UT MD Anderson's Supportive Care Council, a group of parents who have lost children to cancer along with hospital faculty and staff.

In a January interview with MD Anderson, Angie Perry described Ethan as someone the whole neighborhood knew. She said he spread kindness wherever he went and drew greetings from neighbors on every outing.

Families who want to learn more about Ethan's Ohana or support its mission can visit ethansohana.org.