Pro Golfer Brett Rankin is away from home again this week, and it never gets easier. Leaving Brisbane last Sunday to tee it up at an Asian Tour event in Chinese Taipei was, in his words, heart-wrenching, not because he doesn’t want to be there, but because somewhere back home, his 3-year-old daughter Dakota is in the middle of a fight for her life.

“It’s just a massive juggling act at the moment. We’re just trying to do the best we can, to be honest,” Rankin told Golf Australia. The 2019 NT PGA champion has spent his career relying on nothing but himself out on the course; golf, after all, isn’t a team sport. But this year, that self-reliance has been tested in a way no tournament ever prepared him for.

“Couldn’t even talk, mate. You could ask me how I was doing, I’d just start crying. Just pretty heavy stuff,” he said. “The hardest thing about it was you get told that at 1 o’clock in the morning and you’re like, ‘OK, what does that mean? Is she going to die in five years’ time or in two years’ time? What does that mean for us? Do we need to put the house up for sale? Do we need money for this? What’s happening with golf?’

For months, something did not feel right with Dakota. She was usually a bright and happy child, but she had become tired all the time. She often wanted to be carried and would come home from daycare completely exhausted. The family also had to deal with chest infections and pneumonia. At first, they thought Dakota was simply dealing with common childhood illnesses. But eventually, Rankin’s partner, Nicole, decided to get a second medical opinion. It happened on a Friday in late March while Rankin was away playing the second round of The National Tournament on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

Nicole messaged him that day to say they were heading to the hospital because the doctor was worried something more serious could be wrong. Rankin missed the cut that week. Later that night, Nicole told him he should probably come home. When he reached the hospital, Rankin immediately knew the situation was serious.

Dakota was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type of childhood leukemia. The diagnosis can still come with hope because many children recover fully, but treatment can last almost three years.

Rankin was worried not just about Dakota’s survival, but also about how much money the treatment would involve and what this meant for his golf career.

“I was kind of in mourning for her and for my career, to be honest,” Rankin confessed. And even though it was a tough time, he couldn’t walk away from the sport; it gave him his income.

So, with Nicole supporting him, he returned to the Asian Tour about a month after Dakota’s diagnosis. He has found a way to separate golf from everything happening at home. Once he steps onto the course, Rankin said he can focus completely on competing.

Now, while the treatment has reduced Dakota’s immunity power, she has thankfully responded well to the first month of treatment. Rankin said she was then placed in a low-risk category. She still has a long treatment journey ahead, but her treatment can now be less intense than it was at the beginning.

That has made the coming Christmas especially important for Rankin. More than anything, he wants his daughter to be free of leukemia. He is also hoping Dakota can reach the maintenance stage of treatment by November or December. At that point, much of her medicine could be taken at home, with hospital visits becoming less frequent. She may also be able to start kindergarten in February.

However, throughout the difficult time, Rankin was actually shocked by the support people showed him. The response to the family’s GoFundMe campaign included golfers and others donating to help cover lost income and medical costs. The campaign had a goal of $40,000 and was reportedly close to reaching that amount when Rankin spoke to Golf Australia. For Rankin, the support showed how the golfing community can come together when one of its own is going through a difficult time.

Pro Golfer Rankin was born in Brisbane and turned professional in 2011. His big breakthrough came in 2019 when he won the Northern Territory PGA Championship by three shots. That same year, he also won the Morobe Open in Papua New Guinea by four shots after finishing at 20-under 264. Rankin earned his current Asian Tour card through qualifying school in early 2025 after finishing tied for third. This season, he has also finished fifth at the SJM Macao Open and the PNG Championship. He also tied for 14th at the New Zealand Open and the International Series Morocco.

Rankin is not the only professional golfer who has faced the pain of having a seriously ill child. In 2020, four-time PGA Tour winner Golfer Camilo Villegas shared that his 20-month-old daughter, Mia, had been diagnosed with tumors in her brain and spine. She had been unusually sick and crying before doctors found the tumors. Mia went through surgery and chemotherapy, but sadly, she died at just 22 months old in July 2020. Since then, Villegas and his wife, Maria, have worked to keep Mia’s memory alive through their charity work. Her story shows the fear and heartbreak families like Rankin’s can face when a young child becomes seriously ill.

For the Golfer, golf is still important, but his priorities have changed. His biggest wish now is not to finish in the top 10 or have a strong tournament. He just wants to see Dakota finish her treatment and get back to a normal childhood. He wants her to take her medicine at home instead of spending so much time in the hospital. He wants her to start kindergarten in February and enjoy being a three-year-old. For Rankin, seeing his daughter healthy and living a normal life is now the biggest victory of all.