Two-year-old Rupi Danlag approaches each chemotherapy session dressed as a superhero or princess. Despite battling Stage 4 Anaplastic Wilms Tumor, the Crestview toddler maintains spirits that inspire her family and community.

• The Crestview community will rally around the Danlag family on October 4 with the 2025 Costume Chaos 5K at Old Spanish Trail Park, organized by the Communities Against Cancer non-profit.

The charity run begins at 8:00 a.m. and features a costume contest, with the majority of proceeds supporting Rupi’s medical care and a portion benefiting childhood cancer research.

“The 5K would tremendously help our family financially while giving Rupi the best care possible,” said Lita Danlag, Rupi’s mother. “I just graduated from nurse practitioner school and I’ve had to stop working to be a full-time caregiver. This disease causes a lot of uncertainty, instability and sacrifices. We hope to see people come together annually to relieve some of the hardships with a cancer diagnosis for future families as well.”

For Trey Carmical, founder of Communities Against Cancer, organizing events like the Costume Chaos 5K is more than fundraising – it’s personal. His wife Sabrina battled breast cancer, and the community support they received inspired him to create the nonprofit with the mission that “cancer is a journey that shouldn’t be walked alone.”

“We don’t want anybody in our community to feel like they are fighting alone,” Carmical said. “It’s a lot to go through, and not just physically, but emotionally and financially. We want to provide a local nonprofit that can help with everything.”

Carmical discovered Rupi’s story through a chance conversation during a doctor’s appointment at Main Street Medical Center, where Lita works. When he mentioned to the physician that Communities Against Cancer was looking for a recipient for their upcoming event, the doctor told him about his employee’s daughter who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

Rupi’s medical journey began during what seemed like a routine well-visit on July 16. A lingering cough prompted her pediatrician to order a chest X-ray, leading to an urgent trip to Sacred Heart Children’s ER in Pensacola for additional imaging.

• “We never imagined that would be the beginning of the hardest chapter of our lives,” Lita said. A repeat chest X-ray and full CT scan revealed a mass on Rupi’s right kidney with more than 20 nodules in both lungs.

Within 48 hours, Rupi underwent surgery on July 18 for a total right nephrectomy to remove her kidney. She began chemotherapy on July 22, and July 25 brought the official diagnosis of Stage 4 Anaplastic Wilms Tumor, a rare and aggressive kidney cancer that had spread to her lungs and lymph nodes.

“Our world was turned upside down in less than a week,” Lita said.

Because of the severity of her diagnosis, Rupi was immediately placed on a Children’s Oncology Group clinical trial giving her access to the most aggressive treatment plan. She receives chemotherapy at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville and undergoes proton radiation at the UF Proton Institute.

The clinical trial extends Rupi’s treatment to a minimum of 10 months. Recent evaluation scans before starting her third treatment cycle showed positive results.

• “It does look like the tumors in her lungs are shrinking and some have disappeared,” Lita said. “So the radiation is really going to get those microscopic cancer cells that we can’t physically see with the naked eye.”

The diagnosis forced major changes for the family. Lita became Rupi’s full-time caregiver in Jacksonville, while her husband, Partap, remained in Crestview caring for their 4-year-old son, Ramiah, and continuing to work.

“My husband works, so he’s in Crestview, taking care of our older son. I’m here taking care of her,” Lita said. “It’s been hard being away from home.”

Despite the challenging treatment schedule, Rupi maintains the spirit of a typical toddler. “She’s playing, she’s eating. She looks like a happy toddler,” Lita said. “Kids are so resilient. I’m amazed every day by her.”

Rupi faces each Tuesday chemotherapy session with enthusiasm. “We just try to amp her up as much as possible. She’s either going to be dressed in a superhero dress or outfit, or a princess outfit,” Lita said.

Since her diagnosis, Rupi has shown an unshakable strength and spirit. Even during weekly infusions, hospital visits, and scary procedures, she smiles and sings, reminding her family every day what true bravery looks like.

The Crestview community has provided crucial support throughout the family’s journey. Lita, whose father retired from Eglin Air Force Base, has deep roots in the area. Her workplace, Main Street Medical Center, and the family’s church, Woodlawn Baptist Church, have offered ongoing assistance.

• “We couldn’t have made it this far without them,” she said. “There’s something really isolating about that cancer diagnosis.”

For Carmical, witnessing the community’s response to families like the Danlags is all too familiar. Having been on the receiving end of such support during his wife’s cancer battle, he understands the impact extends far beyond financial assistance.

“It wasn’t just the money, it was the meals, and booking hotel rooms for us during treatments. It was helping us with travel expenses and getting the kids to school. It was the small things that meant more than the money,” Carmical said. “It’s everything else in the moment that when you’re going through it, that means the world to you.”

The Costume Chaos 5K is more than financial support for the Danlag family. The event connects them with other cancer survivors and families who understand their struggle.

“It just gives us the support that we need right now to know that we’re not alone in this,” Lita said. “Our community is there behind us. And it’s also support from people who have survived and fought through their own cancer diagnosis.”

September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting the ongoing need for support and research for families facing pediatric cancer diagnoses. The timing adds significance to the upcoming fundraiser as communities nationwide focus attention on pediatric cancer challenges.

• “Hopefully it becomes something that in our community we can help each other,” Lita said, expressing hope the event could become an annual tradition of community support.

Lita acknowledges the emotional and financial toll of Rupi’s journey. “We are doing everything we can to support her but this journey has come with an emotional and financial toll no family can carry alone,” she said.

For those unable to participate in the 5K, the family asks for prayers for Rupi’s complete healing, sharing her story with others, and donations through their GoFundMe campaign.

“Your support is helping us give Rupi a fighting chance and a future full of hope,” Lita said. “In this fight, you have to have hope.”

Registration costs $25 plus a $2.50 signup fee and ends on September 30 at 11:59 p.m. Last day to register with a shirt is Sept. 19. Click here to register