{Thank you for taking the time to view The Superhero Project. To learn more about my family you can visit my Little Earthling Blog and to read more about Apollo check out Apollo’s Story.}
The Superhero Project was inspired by my own little super hero, Apollo. Apollo was born with a rare congenital heart defect that wasn’t diagnosed for 18 months. In 2012 Apollo had two heart surgeries and a feeding tube placed. It was a rough year for him and hard on his body. He didn’t like the surgeries, hospital stays, or feeding tube now stuck out of his stomach. One day, I dressed him up as a super hero to take a few fun pictures. Immediately he began posing for me, totally unprompted. After seeing how much he enjoyed the super hero images of himself, The Superhero Project was born. I decided to offer these sessions to other kids with special needs.
You can view the rest of Apollo’s Superhero Project session here.
The Superhero Project sessions are sessions designed for special needs children. These sessions are done free of charge to these families. My hope is that we can spread awareness about special needs, while giving encouragement to families through the gift of professional photography.
Be sure and check out these other super heroes (and leave a nice comment for their families).
The Superhero Project {Melanie}
The Superhero Project {Victoria}
87 comments on “The Superhero Project {Special Needs Photography}”
the super hero project made my day. i think its awesome you are doing something like this 🙂
Thank you! It truly does bring be joy to offer these photos to families.
This is amazing.. Brought tears to my eyes.. I am a mother to a wonderful son with disabilities, an aunt to an amazing little girl with disabilities and a friend to many moms whose children have disabilities. This touches my heart so much. My son often says nobody loves me.. I never do anything right.. It breaks my heart. I wish we could do something like this here in Wichita Kansas for my boy, my niece and my friends and their kids..
I so wish I could do this for every family! Thank so much for sharing a small part of your story. If you are even in Washington, give me a call.
Greetings rom Finland and I have been working in the kindergarden and later in the hospital with kids who have special needs, one way or another, but it doesn´t mean that they have inner-light and zest of life. They might look different mor act differently, but we all are one of the kind, uniue and special. Working with these kids gave me new perspective towards life and tehy made me smile. I have my own superhero at home. She has ADHD. Some days are challenging than others, but it doesn´t mean that I love her less. She really is a gem. One of the kind, like all kids are. Unique and special. I love working and being around the kids. They know how to live the life to the fullest. We all should learn from them and keep our own superheroes alive.
Awesome job.
Thank you, that is exactly what I was trying to capture in these images.
What a beautiful tribute to our children. Thank you so much for doing this <3
You are welcome. It has been a pleasure to meet and work with these children.
This is such a wonderful thing! Thank you so much for doing it!
You are welcome. I truly love meeting these kids and doing these sessions. It brings *me* joy!
i love, love , love this. I am a mom of three special needs children so this touched my heart.
Thank you! It has been an amazing experience to meet all of these children and I feel honored to be able to share these photos of them.
Love this!
Thank you, Kelli!
I work at the children’s therapy center in fairlawn nj on Monday april27,2014 our staff and students will have super hero day to honor the children and their families
That is so cool! What a way to recognize those families.
This totally made my day. So happy pictures. Fantastic
Thank you! I am glad to share a little bit of your in our world.
Thank you!
You are welcome.
AWESOME!! So cute kids :3
Yes, the kids are all adorable and sweet!
Awesome! Superheroes project is so amazing. These sweeties are just the best! So full of life and beauty! Thank you so much for sharing!
You are welcome! I am thrilled with the positive response these are getting.
I am a student in the US studying music education and autism spectrum disorders and I must say, your project warmed my heart. Your pictures are stunning and is something most of these families don’t get to have done given the circumstances. Not only do you share the amazing pictures, but also the diagnoses and stories. Not only are you changing the kid’s lives and family’s lives, but also everyone else’s by educating them on the disorders. You are doing a truly amazing thing here and are quite the inspiration!
Jennifer,
Yes, having a child with special needs is expensive in regard to both time and money. I am so happy to be able to share a bit of love and the gift of photography with these families.
Thank you for your kind words.
Awsome project. Thank you for sharing these with us. <3
You are welcome! I have loved doing this project.
It’s people like you that restore my faith in humanity. Thank you.
Thank you. Taking these photos is really a small thing, but it makes me happy to see these kids shining faces!
Greetings From Pakistan.
Just got the information about your “Super Hero Project” through Disability.gov, and really inspired to see that.
I feel it is a replicable project in other parts of the countries as well.
I am heading an organization named Visionary Foundation Pakistan, here in Pakistan and our core ares also includes “Disability”, we pronounce it En-Ability. I want your permission to replicat this in Pakistan with children with En-Abilities. As we already worked on “First Pakistan Blind Youth Conference” and “First Karachi Symposium on Disability and SRHR”.
you can get to know more about overselves via our facebook page..”www.Facebook.com/VFPakistan”.
Best Whishes from Pakistan.
Regards
Rashid Mehmood Khan
CEO
Visionary Foundation Pakistan
I was so touched by these lovely little “superheros” and they truly are! So many obstacles at times and yet they keep their heads up and hearts light(a lesson we all should learn from) thanks in part to people and projects like this one, don’t ever stop! These wee “superheros” need a super team and together we can conquer the world!!! ; ] Thanks again made my week.
You are welcome Colleen. I am so happy that these photos brought you some joy!
I love your superhero project! <3 Beautiful kids and such awesome pictures of them 🙂
Thank you so much! I have really enjoyed working on this project and I am so happy to see it is bringing others joy as well.
This is a great project for a great cause. I’m using it in my Sociology class as a great example of family bonding and encouragement- I’m sure it will lead to much more conversation as well. Thank you.
Thanks so much. I hope it helps you and others.
Any interest in a similar project showing foster children as Superheros?
(might have to be private though)
So many children don’t even have school photos to look back upon and have any idea what they even looked like as children…
That’s an interesting idea…maybe just professional photos, so they have something…
I love these pictures such a lovely idea. My son is 7 with severe autism and will not have his picture took by a large camera, all pics I have have been taken on an iPhone!!!
Great work 🙂
I have photographed a few children with autism, and it is a challenge! So glad you are at least capturing memories with your phone. Be sure and print some of those photos!
Very nice initiative. All children are super hero’s 🙂
I was just wondering if you could send me an email. I would love to ask you questions
I send you an email.
This is so wonderful!! Thank you so much for doing this. It made my day 🙂
You are so welcome! I happy they brought a smile to your face.
I have loved seeing your superheroes photos – they are all most definitely superheroes. I love the idea of depicting them
In this way – I have already shared with a few friends who will appreciate your concept. Special Need Power!!!
has anyone told you that you’re a super hero?
These are wonderful …
This is such an amazing thing to do. I’ve done a lot of work volunteering with charities for special needs and seeing this really made my day. Have you heard of a charity called SuperHope – they do a similar thing and get children (most of them are cancer patients) to draw themselves as a superhero, then surprise them with the costume they drew and a photoshoot – if there’s a word to describe it, it’s magical! 🙂
Hats off to you for doing this!! 🙂
Merium,
Thank you for spending your time volunteering. SuperHope sounds amazing! I am off to check them out 🙂
Bergeron;
Firstly, Bravo, . . I am in awe of this wonderful project. I can only say I wish it had been done years ago, but Thank the Lord that you have done it, and so magnificently. Your son is a beautiful young man, and you must be a wonderful momma for him to feel so free. that brings me great joy.
I am a 54 year old married woman with 5 rare illnesses. I have lived a pretty normal life, and never had to deal with the brutal things these sweet angels will. Though as my illnesses have gotten worse and tremors have started and stuttering I see and feel the brutality of people. I am 54, and I am fairly toughened up by the world, and it still hurts sometimes, so when I see these little ones and think how they are treated I get furious.
There is, however, truth in the project you are doing. It takes Great Courage and Strength to get through life when you are different. Thus all those Little Angels you are photographing truly are Super Hero’s. I hope that somehow they will always carry a piece of that with them. So on those days when they are feeling particularly beaten down, they can remember, Hey, I Am A Superhero! I Live Every Day with More Courage and Strength than most. No one else need to understand; if they are not Superhero they are not capable. Just as long as the Super remember. :0)
Dee, Thanks for writing. I am sorry to hear about your health struggles. Yes, you ARE a super hero!
I have many things to offer for a child in need of his or her Super hero! On March 1st I lost my Son Jason at the age of 29 do to bipolar…As a dad I was a dad but in his dreams I was Supermen, Batman, and Spiderman, as well…My background in Art is Photography , Painting, Dancing, Music etc. How can I help a child in need of Love. how can I help a parent to for Phil their children’s need to make there Dreams come true!
I really love the whole thing! Since from the beginning, from the idea for the project, until the wonderful photographs that we can see! It’s so beautiful to can see the happiness in these eyes.. I really think that every children in this world is really a super-hero, with a lot of love to give and to receive; with a lot of things to teach, but also to learn; with a big existence that should be wonderful! I love them! ((:
Thank you for your kind words! I am so happy these photos have brought joy to so many people.
I love these images!!!! I would so love to bring this to our school… Partner with our high school and find a senior doing an independent project and have them use this idea….. Could we use this idea and credit you as the originator of the idea?
I think that would be lovely!
How positively awe-inspiring!!! These pictures warm my heart and make it happy!!!! These children are beautiful…inside and out!!!!
Thank you, and I agree totally!
This is a wonderful project. I have a 7 year old daughter with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Any chance you do any photo sessions in North Carolina???
Thanks so much! I wish I did, but I am more or less stuck here in Western Washington.
Absolutely love this! I have my own special little guy and he is definitely a superhero! Wish you were closer to Texas:)
Thank you! Texas has special place in my heart, Apollo had his second heart surgery there!
My girls saw these pictures and loved them they wanted to be superheroes I so wish you were closer to us. I have a six year old with severe mental disorders and a 5 year old with autism SPD foot deformities seizures and random anaphlaxis. They think their dad is a hero because he’s a soldier they have no idea how big of heroes they are just for getting through each day.
I am so glad your girls enjoyed them. I wish we lived closer too. If I could I would do Superhero Project session for every special needs family. Thank you for sharing!
Apollo ROCKS… and so do YOU, Mama… and thanks for using your talent and imagination to show how ALL these kids ROCK their WORLD. 😉 Folks like you – and them – give me hope for the world after I am gone.
Thank you so much! Your kinds words are very encouraging.
Every superhero has a supermom.
This is a great inspiration for me…
Thank you
Hi,
First, amazing and beautiful work. Do you accept donations or funding to keep the project rolling or expanding? I would love to support to spread this kind of love and joy.
Thank you! 🙂
Kimberly
This is amazing. How can I get my sons pictures done????
Amazing!!!!
Beautiful pictures! I have a similar picture of my daughter who has 1q21.1 deletion and a lot of associated issues. I treasure it.