"He always had a smile on his face," said Celeste Lopez. "There was never anything that told us that he was ever in pain."
But underneath that smile, baby Luca was battling leukemia alongside his parents Celeste Lopez and Christian Vasquez.
"I was his caregiver, I did his dialysis, I gave him his meds," said Lopez.
The mom of two, giving her full-time effort to Luca's care.
Lopez told ABC15 it was torture watching her baby battle the disease.
The week before Christmas, Luca's family learned he wasn't going to make it.
"He left us on New Year's Day in the arms of mom and dad," said Lopez.
While losing a child, the family's newly-opened Tacos Calafia location hit a rough patch.
"Unexpected things were happening to us all at once and it was just tearing our world apart," said Lopez.
She decided to post on Facebook, and to her surprise, thousands shared her message.
Within days the community showed up.
"They called me and said we're slammed, and it's with a bunch of people saying they are here for Luca," said Lopez.
Just days after losing their son the family wants to give back, hosting a fundraiser at their Tempe location.
Lopez told ABC15 they are hoping to help an organization that helped their family.
"Amanda used to say big hugs and so that's what we do we wrap our arms around family," said founder of Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels Lorraine Tallman.
She created the organization after her own daughter passed away from cancer.
"I have a lot of compassion for our mommas because they are fighting every day, and if you can do the littlest thing to help their day what a gift," said Tallman.
The organization helps other families with kids battling the disease, offering everything from gas cards to counseling.
"They gave us gift cards, meal vouchers," said Lopez. "They sent toys to our son. They made it not such a hospital environment. They made it a home."
Lopez says 20% of the proceeds will go to the organization from Thursday's fundraiser.
They say everyone is welcome to stop by the Tacos Calafia near Fourth Street and Mill Avenue to give back.
"We can sponsor a child for $50, so those dollars add up," said Tallman.
"I do want to help other parents who are going through what I went through because it's not easy," said Lopez.
There is also a fundraiser family set up to help Lopez, Christian, and their other son Mateo.
