Family dons superhero costumes to empower 3-yr-old during chemo

• Leone Hernandez, 3, was diagnosed with cancer last summer and had to immediately begin chemo treatments.
• To give him the power he needs to push through, his family dons superhero costumes whenever they go to the hospital.
• His family noticed that the special suits turned Leo’s outlook around and also spread positivity around the hospital.

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Not every hero has superhuman abilities. But simply donning a superhero costume can give someone the strength they need to overcome their battles.

So that’s exactly what a family did to support one of their own through his cancer treatments.

Natalia Hernandez told the Children’s Medical Center Foundation that their 3-year-old son, Leone, had been having frequent nosebleeds last summer.

They initially thought it was caused by an earlier fall he had while playing, so they took him to the doctor. The doctor didn’t find anything, but the nosebleeds continued. When they returned to the pediatrician, they were referred to Children’s Health.

Leone was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where the family learned “the unthinkable” — Leone had to “begin chemo treatment immediately.”

Leone’s family wanted to give him as much support as they can, so they started dressing up in superhero costumes during his treatments, ABC affiliate WFAA reported.

Donning the costumes has since become their special tradition when going to the hospital.

Natalia shared that it was her husband who came up with the idea.

She was initially wary of having to wear the costumes, but he had “insisted that it would help Leo.”

Natalia observed that the costumes did help “turn around Leo’s outlook on the situation.”

“Now, Leo feels powerful and strong as he walks into the hospital,” Natalia shared. “Most of the people at the front desk know us as ‘the dress-up people’ and will offer to take our photo.”

As an added bonus, the costumes also bring positivity to other kids in the hospital, too. “We’ll hear them say, ‘Look, mom, that’s Superman,’” she added.

Natalia now believes that their family has “the superpowers that we need to face this battle.” So they keep up their tradition to ensure Leo “feels the power.”

Just as his parents help give him the power to go through his treatments, Leo’s bravery also continues to inspire his family.

Natalia told NBC affiliate KXAS-TV, “Living these type of battles, they’re really hard, but they’re not impossible. Leo is a superhero for us.”

You can help raise funds for Leone’s treatments via GoFundMe.

Source: PEOPLE