Community-built Lego tribute unveiled during memorial walk at The Arboretum

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 12, 2026) — Lego bricks have a way of turning up everywhere — in sofa cushions, in your unsupervised beagle’s emergency X-ray, in darkened hallways where they lie in wait at 2 a.m. for an unsuspecting bare foot.

On April 26 at The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky, they turned up as something no one saw coming: a handcrafted butterfly, constructed largely by local youth, including patients at Golisano Children’s at UK. Organizers surprised a tearful Melanie Simpson-Conley at the third annual Blue Morpho Sunrise Walk — an event she created and thought she knew down to the last detail.

Unveiled by Abby Stover, family and community relations officer at UK Golisano Children’s, on behalf of the Child Life Program, the 3 1/2-by-6 1/2-foot blue and purple butterfly, built from more than 15,000 Lego bricks, caught Simpson-Conley off guard.

The butterfly was presented in memory of Simpson-Conley’s daughter, Alexandra Hudson Simpson, who died in 2022 following a decade-long battle with a rare cancer. The arboretum’s butterfly garden is named in her honor. The Blue Morpho Sunrise Walk exists to keep her memory alive while drawing attention to two places — UK Golisano Children’s and The Arboretum — that were central to Alexandra’s life and her family’s.

“We wanted to create something lasting at the hospital, something that would live on as a reminder of the beautiful life she lived and the love that continues because of her,” Stover said. “This butterfly represents transformation, courage and hope. It reminds us that love doesn’t end — it changes form.”

Stover said the butterfly’s exact destination has not yet been determined, but it will be displayed in a prominent location in the halls of the children’s hospital.

“Wow, what a special gift,” Simpson-Conley said. “There’s the artistry element and the engineering it took to create this spectacular piece, as well as the kindness in the execution of making this surprise project come to life.”

For Simpson-Conley, the gesture means as much as the people behind it — the family, friends and strangers who show up each year to remember her daughter. She was equally moved by the turnout for Sunday’s sunrise walk.

Under brisk, overcast skies, nearly 200 walkers — including a few pets — traced the path around the arboretum, including through the recently upgraded Simpson Butterfly Garden. Improvements include new flowerpots, a reconstructed pergola, a bricked walkway and a bronze sign marking the garden, purchased by friends. Supporters traveled from as far away as Pittsburgh and central Indiana to be part of the hourlong event.

“It really touches my heart that they make the journey to The Arboretum each year,” Simpson-Conley said.

Also making a lengthy commute in predawn darkness was Lauren Price Johnson, of Liberty, Kentucky, a college and career navigator at Casey County High School and sponsor of the GUPPY (Gear Up ProPelling You) Club, a student organization focused on service, kindness and giving back.

For Johnson, the butterfly project was deeply personal. In 2015, she lost a son 27 days after he was born with a heart condition, and UK has been central to her family’s life ever since.

“Since then, my family and I have made it a priority each year to give back to the hospital,” Johnson said. She and Simpson-Conley met at a memorial service and have stayed connected — a friendship rooted in shared loss and symbolism. Both women find meaning in butterflies as reminders of the children they lost.

When Johnson contacted Child Life about bringing students to the hospital, the butterfly project was a natural fit.

“Melanie and I both have a special connection to butterflies, as they remind us of the children we lost,” she said. “The students truly loved working on this project and being part of something so meaningful.”

Members of Johnson’s youth group were among more than four dozen people who worked on the final piece.

“Lauren, her students and the patients all shared the love, sorting 15,000 Lego bricks for the designer,” Simpson-Conley said. “This art display will spread joy throughout the hospital for patients, families and staff who walk past this large, colorful mosaic of hope and rebirth.”

Once the walk concluded, participants were invited to attend a musical performance in Alex’s honor at Central Christian Church, followed by the dedication of the ALEX Arts in Education Floor at Lexington Children’s Theatre in downtown Lexington.