Look good, feel good

Jenelle Caporali, of Oklahoma, Westmoreland County, had a roundabout connection to Ms. Durante. When a friend found out about the program, she asked if Ms. Caporali’s daughter, Nora, could participate.

In August 2018, Nora, then just 2, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and Costumes for Courage gifted her with Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Supergirl outfits. In January, she was able to ring the bell at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the end of her chemo treatments.

“These kiddos are fighting battles that most adults can’t even fathom, and they do it with such grace and diligence,” Ms. Caporali said. “For them to put these costumes on and pretend they’re someone who is invincible or figment of their imagination, it’s just a nice reprieve for them.”

The nonprofit runs solely on donations and via volunteers. The four founders of the organization all work full-time jobs in addition to keeping Costumes for Courage humming along and, they hope, growing to serve more children.

Ms. Attinger urged folks to speak up and reach out to organizations wanting to provide support to children and families. She also encouraged those thinking about starting a nonprofit service organization.

“If you want to do something like this, just do it,” she said. “It can be really overwhelming knowing where to start, how to get started, but don’t let that deteryou. It is worth the work. Even one little note, one little smile, is worth the work it takes to get going.”