Fayetteville Student Dies After Cancer Battle
Caleb Gaines, a 14-year-old Woodland Junior High student, died after a yearlong fight with leukemia and related complications.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education
Caleb Gaines, 14, died Sunday at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock after a yearlong battle with leukemia and numerous complications. He is one of three Woodland Junior High students to die in less than two months.
Why it matters
The deaths have affected the Fayetteville School District, which has made counselors available throughout the week to support students. The family is asking the community to honor Caleb by donating LEGO sets to young patients.
Caleb Gaines was 14 and had been hospitalized off-and-on for months, requiring life support, surgeries, therapies and medications. Woodland Junior High has lost three students in under two months, the most recent being Caleb Gaines.
The players
Fayetteville School District
The local public school system whose counselors have been available to Woodland Junior High students following the deaths.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
The Little Rock pediatric hospital where Caleb Gaines died and where he received extended care.
The details
Caleb Gaines died after a yearlong fight with leukemia that began last October. Woodland Junior High students Savannah Parker, 12, and Olivia Pamungkas, 13, died in a September 19 utility terrain vehicle rollover.
Timeline
September 19: Savannah Parker and Olivia Pamungkas die in a UTV rollover accident.
October (last year): Caleb Gaines begins fighting cancer.
Sunday: Caleb Gaines dies at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.
Saturday, 2 p.m.: Memorial service held at New Heights Church, 3011 North College Ave., Fayetteville.
Community Support
Schools confronting a cluster of student deaths typically rely on counselors and peer support to help students process loss. In Fayetteville, the district's counseling response follows that model after three Woodland Junior High students died in under two months.
Families who wish to honor Caleb Gaines can donate unopened, boxed LEGO sets to patients at Arkansas Children's Northwest in Springdale in lieu of flowers. Students and families needing support can contact Fayetteville School District counselors.
The takeaway
Schools facing multiple student losses in a short period can rely on available counseling resources, and community members can channel grief into tangible support such as the requested LEGO donations to young patients.
What happens next
A memorial service for Caleb Gaines is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. at New Heights Church in Fayetteville.
Further reading
Explore more Secondary Education coverage in Fayetteville for context on how local schools support students.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ArkansasOnline.
