Sometimes the little guy wins one.

In this case, the little guy is 1-year-old Aiden Lopez of Lakewood. The son of a Fort Lewis engineer was recently diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited condition that affects the body's ability to break down certain proteins and sugars.

The disease is fatal, and there’s only one prospective treatment for him: A bone-marrow transplant using umbilical stem cells that costs about $700,000 performed at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. Aiden’s parents, Sgt. Gilberto and Penny Lopez, discovered the treatment online when doctors told them no treatment or cure for Aiden or his 5-year-old sister, Hannah, was available.

(Hannah also has Sanfillipo syndrome, but the disease has progressed too far for the treatment. She has developmental disabilities and will likely only live into her teens.)

TriWest Healthcare Alliance, which operates the military medical insurance program TRICARE in the western United States, twice denied the Lopez’s request for Aiden’s treatment. When I talked to her last week, Penny was visibly upset as she thumbed through stacks of paperwork from insurance providers, doctors and the office of U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, which helped expedite the appeals process.

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The public is invited to Fort Lewis on Saturday for the post’s annual Armed Forces Day celebration.

Festivities kick off at 9 a.m. with a 5-kilometer "mud run" obstacle-course race.

An hour later, the parade grounds open and include attractions like historical military reenactments, vehicle displays, live music, climbing wall, pony rides, a 10-kilometer Volksmarch, an Army vs. Air Force soccer game, a parachutist drop, craft and food vendors and an amateur singing competition.

If you don't have a car pass, enter Fort Lewis at the DuPont gate off Exit 119 on Interstate 5. Drivers must have a valid license, registration and proof of insurance. Everyone 16 or older must show photo ID.

Fort Lewis is inviting military retirees to the American Lake Club on Friday for an annual event that focuses on health care and the status of today's Army. Military agencies and veterans groups are also on hand to provide information.

Here’s what’s on tap, courtesy of the folks at public affairs:

A Madigan Army Medical Center mini-clinic, which will conduct diagnostic tests on site, from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointments are necessary, but patients should fast for 12-hours before having blood drawn.

A Retiree Information Fair will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Booths representing state and federal, and non-profit agencies will be staffed by employees and other individuals knowledgeable about benefits and services their organization has available for military retirees.

The Fort Lewis Staff Judge Advocate's office will staff a legal advice center at the fair, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., to assist with wills, special general and medical powers of attorney, and answers to legal questions.

Maj. Gen. Patricia Horoho, Madigan Army Medical Center Commander, will be the guest speaker for this year's event. She will be introduced by Maj. Gen. (retired) Eugene L. Daniel, Fort Lewis Retiree Council chairman, at 12:30 p.m.

Complimentary refreshments (fruit, pastry, coffee, and juice) will be offered throughout the day, from 7:30 a.m. to noon. There will also be a no-host breakfast served from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and a no-host luncheon from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., with dinner music provided a pianist from the 56th Army Band.