Incredible Photo Series Helps Kids With Disabilities See Their Inner Superhero

Renee Bergeron is a professional photographer living in Bellingham, Washington. Her 4-year-old son, Apollo, was diagnosed with a double aortic arch, a rare heart defect, when he was 18 months old. In just one year he underwent two open-heart surgeries and had to have a feeding tube inserted in his stomach, along with numerous other medical procedures, according to his mom’s website.

Bergeron wanted to make sure her son always had a positive self-image despite his diagnosis, so she dressed him up like a superhero and took a few pictures.

Apollo wearing purple cape and goggles, standing on the grass with trees in the background — Photo of Apollo republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Apollo wearing purple cape and goggles, standing in the grass with trees in the background — Photo of Apollo republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

“When Apollo was about 2 years old, I was fooling around with my wide-angle fisheye lens to get some fun photos. When I saw the way he posed, with such strength and confidence, I knew I wanted him to keep that image of himself,” Bergeron told The Mighty. “At 2, he was too young to feel self-conscious about his feeding tube or view himself as different from other kids, but I knew that day would come. I took the images and shared them with him in a book so he could always see himself as strong and confident.”

Apollo loved his photos, and Bergeron wanted other children to experience that same confidence boost. In the summer of 2013, The Superhero Project, a photography series portraying children with special needs as superheroes, was born. Bergeron meets with children with special needs and their parents and creates beautiful photographs that reveal each child’s inner-superhero — free of charge.

Avery wearing a cape on the grass — Photo of Avery republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Cody wearing a cape and holding his hand out — Photo of Cody, who has Down syndrome. Republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

“I wanted to give these children a view of themselves as strong, beautiful individuals,” Bergeron told The Mighty.

Melanie wearing fairy wings, standing in a grassy field — Photo of Melanie, who has autism, epilepsy and sensory processing disorder. Republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Victoria wearing a pink tiara and carrying a pink wand — Photo of Victoria, who has a leg deformity. Republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Some of the children in Bergerson’s photos have physical disabilities, but others have invisible disabilities like autism, apraxia or a sensory disorder.

Avi wearing goggles and a purple cape — Photo of Avi, who has sensory challenges. Republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Mila walking in grassy field with a purple cape — Photo of Mila, who has apraxia. Republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Bergeron says embarking on this project has taught her about how much value children with special needs can add to a community. She hopes these photos will show the world just how strong they are.

“I think a lot of people look at others with special needs and think of them as ‘less’ in some ways,” Bergeron told The Mighty. “Let’s face it, though — these kids are all fighters. The obstacles they overcome daily just to cope in our world ought to make us all see them as superheroes.”

Apollo smiling with raised fists over his head — Photo of Apollo republished with permission from Little Earthling Photography.

Bergeron is currently in the process of booking the 2015 Superhero Project photoshoots. To learn more about the project or to contact Bergeron, visit her blog and professional website. To see more photos, visit The Superhero Project website.

h/t The Stir

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Incredible Photo Series Helps Kids With Disabilities See Their Inner Superhero