SPECIAL POWERS
Calendar turns local kids into superheroes
At 6 years old, R.J. Judy has had four major surgeries and faces daily challenges dealing with Hirschsprung’s disease, which he was diagnosed with as an infant. But for a few hours in July, in front of a green screen in South Park, he was Superman.
R.J. is one of 13 local children to take part in photo shoots for a calendar to raise money for Superheroes Believe in Miracles, a foundation that supports children with special needs.
“You can tell a kid how strong they are, but this is just a way for him to feel strong and special,” said R.J’s mother, Jessica Judy, of White Oak. “It was kind of neat to watch him as the photo shoot went on. When it started, he was really shy, and as it went on, you could see him open up and see his confidence grow.”
The first calendar came out in 2018 with help from a program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh that provided design work to nonprofits. When the Art Institute went out of business, the calendar did too.
But earlier this year, Shawn O’Mara, the Art Institute professor who worked on the calendar, and Amy Faltot, who runs Superheroes Believe in Miracles, decided to revive it. Mr. O’Mara agreed to donate time from his graphic design firm, Ocreations, and they searched for volunteer photographers and sponsors.
“We just want this to happen again,” he said. “This project really transformed everybody who touched it, anybody that got involved in it — it literally transformed people.”
Ms. Faltot, of Natrona Heights, started Superheroes Believe in Miracles seven years ago, after her own son was hospitalized for four
months at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. She was inspired by the resilience she saw in chronically sick children.
“I remember seeing so many kids that were fighting for their lives but still had this amazing attitude,” she said. “The image never left my mind of those kids.”
She began sending birthday packages to children and their siblings who have serious chronic physical or mental illnesses. She now sends out 180 packages per month. The calendar project started as a way to raise additional funds for the birthday gifts and to raise the spirits of the children participating.
Elizabeth Hackwelder, 7, of Chicora, Butler County, is one of those children. She has a genetic condition called ZTTK that is so rare that when she was diagnosed with it four years ago, she was one of only six children in the world known to have it.
Elizabeth is nonverbal but has clearly expressed her love of costumes, said her mother, Tara. And when they put the Batgirl costume on her for the photo shoot — complete with glittery tutu — “you could tell she was just so excited,” she said. “She lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Elizabeth’s 10-year-old brother, Celtan, got to dress as Batman and participate as well.
Elizabeth can walk but is sometimes unsteady on her feet. At the photo shoot, she surprised her mother. “She was chasing him and running around, giggling. She seemed to really enjoy the attention.”
Because many of the children participating in the calendar are medically fragile, the organizers were sensitive to COVID-19 precautions.
The photographs were taken outdoors with the photographers and staff wearing masks.
The calendars will be available for $10, plus a shipping charge, at SuperheroesBelieveinMiracles.com.