SPOKANE, Wash. – Smiling was contagious inside Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital Wednesday as the 10th Annual Superheroes for Kids Day kicked off, with Spiderman, Captain America, Wonder Woman and more fan-favorites visiting patients inside their rooms.
It’s not every day you get to meet a superhero.
“This is an awesome opportunity; you get to see these kids when they’re feeling really down, and you get to put a little joy on their face,” said Dawn Gregg, dressed in her The Incredibles ‘Elastigirl’ costume.
Elastigirl and her superhero friends took away a bit of pain for kids like 6-year-old Leah, who are bravely battling through illnesses that no one would ever wish on anyone, much less a child.
Hooked up to an IV, Leah, with her mom by her side, recounted her favorite color and animal waiting for the parade of superheroes.
“Since my favorite color is orange, I like foxes because they’re orange,” she said.
Leah’s been in the hospital for about a week-and-a-half fighting Encephalitis, but her mom said she should be able to go home soon. And what better way to end her stay than with a visit from the Hulk, Captain Marvel and Captain America, Spiderman, and more.
The superheroes are all volunteers who have close ties to Sacred Heart, and it took them around three hours to visit every open room on every floor of the hospital, including the NICU to simply visit parents.While most patients were visited in their room, some people just got lucky, like Shaquille and his family, who were taking a walk through the children’s hospital when suddenly a parade of superheroes stopped them in their tracks.
“It was a big surprise for them, they were overwhelmed at first, but I could definitely see they were having a good time,” he said. “I was excited, it made me happy too and I’m not even a patient.”
Superheroes for Kids Day isn’t only exciting for the patients and volunteers, but for the hospital staff, as well.
“It’s such a highlight of the year to be a part of this parade and see the joy that kids and siblings and parents get knowing that there are so many people in our community who are rooting for them when they’re going through these really difficult circumstances,” Colleen Fox, the Philanthropy Officer for Providence, said.
Being in the hospital can be scary, especially for kids and parents who just want to be at home. But thanks to these everyday heroes wearing the masks of a superhero, these tough times feel a bit easier to get through.
Wrapping up their visit with Leah, the superheroes happily yelled, “save the day.” And that they did.
