On this Saint Patrick's Day, in northern Nevada, more than 200 men, women, and children shaved their heads to fight childhood cancer. It was all apart of an event known as St Baldrick’s.

It’s an international effort. There are literally hundreds of Saint Baldrick’s events across the world, and Northern Nevada is one of the most successful out of all of those.

And this week, tens of thousands of people will shave their heads to help kids fight cancer.

I spoke to Alyssa Justice's mom and dad, who say no parent should ever go through the pain of losing a child. Alyssa was diagnosed with leukemia when she was just three years old.

Jamie Simons-Justice is Alyssa’s mother. She describes her little girl. “She was so fun. She was a little comedian. Absolutely loved life.” Simons-Justice says she will miss getting woken up by Alyssa's smile and squeaky little voice.

It's the number one disease killer for kids in the U.S. 160 thousand children die every year from cancer. Alyssa Justice was one of them.

“We spent six months at Oakland Children’s Hospital. She had to have a full radiation and chemotherapies.”

Alyssa’s dad, Casey Justice, says he remembers spending pretty much every holiday in the hospital.

Just as children who suffer from cancer go bald from radiation, hundreds will do the same here, including Casey Justice, Alyssa's father.

“I prayed every day to take me instead of her. I lived half my life, she didn't.”

Alyssa passed in October. In her short life, her mother says she lived fully.

“We let her go fishing with her uncle, and shooting with her grandpa. We weren’t going to lock her up in a room and punish her for being sick.”

And the 5-year-old had a lot of people who loved her—like her best friend Ethan.

“I’m really sad, I didn’t want her to die.”

He says he still dreams about her.

“I had this dream, I saw Alyssa, she looked beautiful.”

Every Saint Patrick’s day, the Justices will hold Alyssa especially close to their hearts...but not because necessarily because of this event.
Wednesday would’ve been a special day. It's Alyssa’s birthday. She would’ve been six.

Ethan says all he wants to say to Alyssa is happy birthday. All he wants to do is play with her. He describes her as fun.

While Alyssa’s mom says it's not fair for a child's life to be cut so short, her comfort comes in knowing that Alyssa is in a better place, where she's not sick any longer.

“She's better now, I just have to look at it that way.”

If you're interested in helping out kids like Alyssa, visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/