My guess is that water got in it. I think initially exposure to the elements was to blame. The clock was also battery-operated and it stopped because of that, too. Still, its an icon downtown.
I was scared and didn't really know much about cancer and how bad it really was.
It's important to educate yourselves. You need to find out where you can get the help your child needs. There are a lot of sources on the Internet. You also need to communicate with the schools and professionals.