Shanden Kulakamahiaiokamehameha Chandler Ishiki-Beate is a hero.

That’s an extraordinary thing to say about an infant, a 4-month-old Kaneohe boy who died last month of sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. But it’s true — his tragic death meant three others will live through the gift of his organs.

Alive today is a 10-month-old child from Arizona who received Shanden’s heart, and a Northern California man who got Shanden’s kidneys. Also saved was a 1-month-old Southern California infant, who received Shanden’s intestines, liver and pancreas.

Shanden, who died Feb. 6 after exactly 100 days of life, becomes the first donor of intestines ever in Hawaii and among only a handful of others able to donate a heart, according to officials with Legacy of Life Hawaii, the nonprofit agency that made the arrangements that led to the organ transplants.

"I think he is a hero," said his heartbroken mom, Sharie Chandler, before Saturday’s memorial service in Kaneohe. "He’s a blessing."

It’s also true that Shanden’s heroism couldn’t have happened without the courageous act of his distraught parents, who were able to put aside their pain and sadness to authorize the donation for their son.

"We just figured we had to be strong as parents — for the next parents who have to go through it," the mother said.

"We had to be strong," said dad Branden Beate, 29. "There was no other option."

There were both laughs and tears during an interview Saturday, the couple holding the memories of Shanden — the combination of Sharie and Branden — close to their hearts. The mother, 23, held tight a picture cube with images of her tiny son.

"He was a happy little man," said Beate, who described the child as a daddy’s boy who grew closer to his mom over time. "He was happy all the time."

Beate grew emotional as he described finding his son in his crib one morning, pale and lifeless, his eyes open. Chandler was dropping off her other son, 2-year-old Syrian, at the baby sitter’s, and Beate panicked, rushing to a neighbor’s house for help. The neighbor called 911.

Chandler’s uncle called to tell her there was an emergency at home, and only when she returned to find an ambulance parked in front did she learn the horrible truth.

"I was in shock and denial it was happening," she said. "I didn’t sleep for days."

SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old and claims the lives of more than 2,000 children each year in the United States. After much scientific study, medical authorities still cannot explain what causes the syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shanden’s heart was revived in the ambulance on the way to Castle Medical Center, and he would eventually be transferred to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, where the parents kept vigil for several days, praying and hoping for a miracle.

"It was the hardest time of my life," Beate said.

Even before Shanden was declared brain dead, the couple was discussing the possibility of donating his organs. They were hoping for a miracle, they said, but if Shanden couldn’t pull through, maybe someone else’s miracle could.

Little did they know three lives would be saved.

"In a way, it was a miracle," said Kelly Sutton, Shanden’s godmother, who stayed at the hospital throughout the ordeal. "That’s our blessing."

After the boy’s death, medical teams arrived in Honolulu from California and Arizona to remove the organs and take them back for immediate transplants.

"He was definitely our superhero," said Mychal Hatae, family services coordinator with Legacy of Life Hawaii.

Through the agonizing pain and misery of loss, the couple said they are comforted by the fact their young son saved multiple lives, and they hope they get a chance to meet the recipients one day.