LAD IN A BATTLE MOVES, INSPIRES PCC

by the Young Voices Staff

Photo: Lad in a Battle When PCC students were told that they would be seeing a motivational speaker who used music to inspire people, they were not prepared for the emotional roller-coaster of Lad in a Battle. Armed with his guitar, James Orrigo shared his stories of terminally ill children and the songs that he wrote with them to commemorate their lives. It was a heart-wrenching but inspiring evening.   

As a lacrosse player in high school, James suffered a traumatic brain injury after an illegal check, which ended his lacrosse career and dramatically impacted his daily life.  This catastrophic event caused James to reevaluate his life and the choices he was making. Playing the guitar helped him regain his fine motor skills, and music became his escape. After his recovery, James was set to head off to college in Virginia when his mother fell ill, and was given only a few weeks to live.

Losing his mother drove him to decide to use his music for something good: James formed Lad in a Battle to raise money for sick children. He initially worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help a young girl with cancer travel to Hawaii. The girl had been a fan of one of his songs, “Boat Shoes,” and so he raised $6,000 for her trip and bought her a pair of sparkly pink boat shoes. From this experience, James shifted his focus into kids with terminal illnesses and helping them leave behind a legacy for their families through song and animation.

James told the PCC students about how he will meet with these children at hospitals around the country and helps them put their lyrics to music and animation. These videos are meant to be lasting tributes to these brave children. He has journeyed over 12,000 miles to many pediatric units all across America, and has received sponsorship from Google, among other companies.

It was an emotional evening. “Emotional is an understatement, alright?” rants PCC student Jenna. There were many tears in the audience as James recounted his mission. Students were expecting an upbeat and informative Core Course; they were not expecting to be so moved and affected by Lad in a Battle’s powerful and transformative message.