A Texas family wears superhero costumes whenever their 3-year-old son with leukemia has to undergo chemotherapy, believing that this will make him brave in facing his battle with cancer.
Parents Dario and Natalia Hernandez join their son, Leone, in wearing the superhero costumes, alongside his brother Emiliano, so the toddler could feel that he has the power to go through chemotherapy.
Leone was diagnosed with a treatable and common childhood blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2021. However, chemotherapy has made him fearful of his treatments at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas, per WFAA.
The hospital workers at the cancer ward support the family's choice to dress up in superhero costumes because it can improve Leone's outcomes. Dr. Laura Klesse, a doctor at the hospital, said it's empowering for Leone to see that he has the full support of his parents and sibling.
Leone Hernandez's Challenging Health Journey
Mom Natalia shared via Children's Health that Leone's symptoms started with nosebleeding. She initially thought that this was due to falls or bumps when he was playing. Their pediatrician initially said that this was nothing to worry about, but when the nosebleeding became more frequent, the family was referred to a specialist at the Children's Medical Center.
After several tests, the family learned of Leone's real condition. Natalia confessed that they could not understand why it happened to their son. At such a young age, Leone had to undergo surgery to prepare the port that he'll need for his chemotherapy.
The idea to wear costumes to rally behind their son came from her husband. To date, Dario has bought them ten different sets of costumes. Natalia was second-guessing the plan at first, but she completely embraced the costume-wearing after seeing its impact on their son.
"The costumes helped turn around Leo's outlook on the situation," Natalia said. "They make other kids in the hospital smile, too!"
It comes as the Dallas hospital recently celebrated Cape Day, where superheroes like Batman and Superman cleaned the windows of the cancer ward, much to the delight of the young patients. The facility's president, Brent Christopher, said it was a way to show the kids that they have a whole community standing behind them as they deal with their illnesses.
Hernandez Family Remains Optimistic
Despite what they are going through, the Hernandez family has been optimistic about Leone's chances of beating the disease. Dario believes anything else they have to weather through together will not be as challenging as Leone's cancer but will keep them moving forward as their son heals.
The family is also looking forward to a brighter future because they are expecting their third child, per News 4 Antonio. The baby is expected to be born in August, the same birth month as Leone's.
Meanwhile, several businesses have been donating money for Leone's treatments. The 3-year-old needs chemotherapy every day.
