KITTY HAWK, N.C. (WAVY) — A North Carolina fire department is rallying behind a one-year-old from Kitty Hawk who is battling a rare form of cancer.

The family travels back and forth from the Outer Banks to Children Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk so 20-month-old Christian Pinto can receive his care for Ewing sarcoma.  

What started as a bump on Christian’s leg led to tests and scans that showed cancer. It has now spread to his lungs. Christian’s parents say that before he was diagnosed, he showed no symptoms. 

“You look at him and you’re like, ‘Wow, he looks like a normal toddler,’ you know? And then next thing you know, he’s got cancer,” said Sara Pinto, Christian’s mother. “And it’s not small. It’s big.”

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive cancer that forms in bones or soft tissue. The Pintos said for Christian’s age, it’s rare. 

“There is really no other case that I could find, or the doctor could find, that’s identical to him in any way, especially having both of his lungs collapsed,” Sara Pinto said. “Within the first two weeks of us being there, he had to receive four chest tubes altogether.”

Tough and strong — that’s how Sara and Ross Pinto describe their son. Ross Pinto said he wished he could fight the battle for their youngest son. 

“The main tumor is in his right tibia,” Sara Pinto said. “Unfortunately, they’re really giving us only two options with his leg. It’s either a limb salvage surgery, which would mean that we’d be taking out that bone or replacing it with another, or amputation. So that’s something else that we struggle with.”

The trips to Norfolk initially were every other week. Now Christian and Sara Pinto travel every week from the Outer Banks to Norfolk for his treatments. 

“We’ll go back Monday for an outpatient chemo, and then the following week, it’ll be a two-day inpatient, and just cycles like that,” Sara Pinto said. 

That cycle could last up to a year, with the family telling 10 On Your Side his treatment should be done in May, but they’ve already had several setbacks. 

“When he comes back from chemo, if his white blood count is way down, most people know white blood cells help fight infections,” Ross Pinto said. “So he’s super prone to getting sick, especially when we have three other kids.”

Christian has three older siblings — 3, 7, and a 10-year-old. The back-and-forth from Outer Banks to Norfolk has caused Ross Pinto to have to take off work as a Kill Devil Hills firefighter. His fellow first responders have come together to show their support. 

Fire Chief Troy Tilley wrote in a statement: 

“The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department is one big family and we can’t imagine what the Pinto family is going through, but as part of the Fire Department family we come together to offer support in these unbelievable challenging times. We ask that everyone keep the Pinto family in their thoughts and prayers.” 

Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue held a car wash for Christian Pinto in early September. 

“That’s definitely been the biggest silver lining to this whole situation,” Ross Pinto said. “All of my friends and family have come together, and they’re really helping out, and they’re so supportive.”

The family has a GoFundMe that helps offset the cost of transportation, medical bills and help take care of their other children. It has already raised more than $20,000. Click here to donate.