An Oklahoma City girl who once lost her ability to walk is now one vote-count away from first place in a nationwide contest built around comic-book heroes. Darcie O’Daniel currently sits in second place in Stan Lee’s Super Kid Contest, a standing her mother says has the whole family thrilled after weeks of casting a daily vote on her behalf.
Darcie has Mosaic Down syndrome, and more recently was diagnosed with a separate, rare condition called Down syndrome regression disorder, according to News 9. That second diagnosis, her mother Jennifer O’Daniel said, took away Darcie’s ability to walk. Jennifer O’Daniel told the station that Darcie was diagnosed with Mosaic Down syndrome before the family later learned of the regression disorder, and that Darcie has faced several medical challenges but continues to push through.
Figuring out what was happening to Darcie took a coordinated effort. The J.D. McCarty Center, OU Children’s and Bethany Children’s Center all worked together to determine the cause of her condition, per the station's report, pooling expertise to treat a disorder that remains little understood even among specialists.
A Disorder Doctors Are Still Racing to Understand
Down syndrome regression disorder is described by the National Down Syndrome Society as a rare but serious condition that occurs in some adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome, marked by the sudden loss of previously learned skills in areas like daily living, language, movement or social interaction. The organization notes that loss of skills often happens quickly, over weeks to months, and that there is currently no one-size-fits-all treatment, with every patient requiring an individualized plan. Separately, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has said it launched what it describes as the first clinical trial for the disorder, while an international panel of 27 clinicians across six countries reached preliminary agreement on diagnostic standards, according to a report in the National Institutes of Health database.
Amid all of that, Darcie has found her own way to cope: by channeling the Hulk. The station's report notes she loves the character because she likes to Hulk smash in the ball pit, and that she has even met actor Lou Ferrigno once, whom her mother described as a really nice guy.
Why Second Place Matters Right Now
The family has participated in the contest for about a month, Jennifer O’Daniel said, and reaching second place has them hoping Darcie can climb to first and advance to the next round. Stan Lee’s Super Kid Contest has multiple rounds, and entries are based on pictures of children submitted into the competition. Public voting, rather than a judging panel, decides who moves forward, according to the official competition rules.
Anyone can cast one free vote for Darcie each day, and people can also make a donation to the contest, though donations are not required. Jennifer O’Daniel said the family would be thrilled just knowing supporters are casting that one free vote daily. Registration for the nationwide competition opened on August 6, 2026, according to a PR Newswire announcement, and it is open to heroic kids between the ages of 5 and 17.
What's at Stake for the Eventual Winner
The competition is run by Colossal Management, LLC as a fundraising campaign on behalf of DTCare, a 501(c)(3) charity, and benefits The Stan Lee Foundation, according to the contest's official support page. The eventual winner is set to receive a superhero identity transformation, a starring role in a new Stan Lee Universe comic book, four passes to the 2027 LA Comic Con, and $25,000.
Darcie isn’t the only child chasing that prize this fall. In Seattle, 10-year-old artist Lyfe Wilson has advanced into the competition’s Top 5 group finals, part of a field that launched with more than 120 young contestants from across the country, according to Where We Converge. That outlet reports voting for the group finals closes at 7 p.m. Pacific time this Thursday, underscoring how quickly these rounds move once a contestant breaks into the upper tier.
The official rules note that no purchase, donation or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win, and voters do not have to pay or donate to cast a vote, though donations may allow more than one vote per day. Entrants, however, are prohibited from submitting donation-based votes for their own child, per the contest's support information.
