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Two-year-old Christian Pinto was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing sarcoma on July 7, 2024 after a trip to urgent care for what appeared to be a minor bump on his leg. The Kitty Hawk local, just one-year-old at the time, was rushed to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) in Norfolk, Virginia, where they found a large tumor on his leg which had already spread to his lungs. It’s been six months of back and forth travel from the Outer Banks to CHKD so Christian can receive treatments, and the journey has left the Pinto family in need of support.

Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in soft tissue or bone. Treatment can consist of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and/or amputation in some cases. Zoey Daknis, Christian’s aunt, shared with The Coastland Times that the family was initially told that Christian’s leg would need to be amputated. After having received multiple opinions from various doctors, the family is now leaning toward a limb salvage surgery on his leg, which will involve a rough recovery and concerns with his growth and mobility.

“They took a trip to Cleveland a couple months ago for scans and tests,” Zoey shared. Sara Pinto, Christian’s mother, is currently traveling at least every other week back and forth to CHKD for chemotherapy and scans. Ross Pinto, a firefighter with the Kill Devil Hills Fire Department, has been on leave since July to help care for their other three children: Gabriel (10), Abigail (7) and Junior (3). Christian’s chemotherapy is set to end in May or June of this year, followed by surgery and potential radiation on his lungs.

Zoey explained that the tumors in Christian’s lungs have led them to collapse multiple times. This has left him hooked up to chest tubes, a feeding tube and unable to walk on his tumorous leg. To add to it all, every time the little boy breaks a fever, a trip to the hospital must be made.

“But Christian has been the strongest boy through it all and we are happy to share that his little body is beating this thing,” his aunt happily reported. “He still has a ways to go with chemo, surgery, and radiation decisions, but the tumor in his leg is gone and his lungs have almost all the way cleared up.” According to Zoey, Christian is walking and playing like a perfectly healthy child, despite spending most of his time at CHKD.

Due to the treatments, travel, unpaid work leave and many other factors that have impacted the Pinto family during this time, they are experiencing a financial strain. The Outer Banks and Hampton Roads communities have shown their support over the past six months, organizing fundraisers to help support Christian’s journey in fighting cancer. KDH Ocean Rescue organized a Labor Day weekend car wash, Lights of Christmas stopped by the Pinto house for Christmas, along with Santa Claus and a crowd of local first responders, and Fat Tuna and Honor Brewing of Virginia hosted a tap takeover event in December to raise money for the family.

“The community has absolutely gathered around him and showed so much support and encouragement for him,” Zoey said. “Everyone has been so helpful, but now it’s to the point where medical bills are the main focus, and travel and food.”

To help support Christian, the family has created a “Cure For Christian” Facebook page where updates are shared regularly. A GoFundMe fundraiser is available for donations, as well as a Venmo: @Sara-Pinto-11. The Pinto family is also in need of DoorDash or Wawa (gas) gift cards for the long hospital stays and travel expenses.

There are organizations that are also in need of support for their work in bringing awareness to Ewing sarcoma, such as D-Feet Cancer. Their mission is to help discover more effective and less toxic treatments for this rare cancer, while supporting patients and their families during great times of need. More information can be found at dfeetcancer.org.

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