Rising From The Blog

Well, the 2012 Boston Comic Con is now over, and it was an interesting couple of days for me and the rest of Randolph House Productions. While I do plan on devoting an article about the full Comic Con experience in the near future, I wanted to touch on something that was hard to avoid during the convention: costumes. If you walked anywhere in the vicinity of the Hynes Convention Center last Saturday or Sunday, you had a chance to see people of all ages dressed as their favorite characters from comic books, movies, and animation.

I’m fairly certain that these fans got some odd looks while making their way to the event. However, I can understand why they go to such lengths to dress up for the Comic Con. Think back to when you were a child. It was a time when having fun was so simple. You just had to put a towel on your back and you were transformed into a costumed hero. But, as the years pass, moments like that start to happen less and less. Sure, there is still Halloween, but outside of that one day, when else can you pretend to be Wolverine, Superman or the Flash? These comic book conventions are one of the rare occasions where pretending to be someone else is actually encouraged.

It might be seen as frivolous to some, but there are times when this type of make believe can actually be a wonderful gift to others. This is especially true in light of a news story that has been circulating on the internet for the past week.

Kye is a 7-year-old boy who lives in Texas. He also has leukemia. Despite this diagnosis, the one thing that always manages to make Kye happy is Batman. Like a lot of little kids, Kye has dreamed of going on an adventure with the Caped Crusader, and that is where A Wish With Wings stepped in.

Similar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, A Wish With Wings is a non-profit charity organization that helps to make the dreams of sick children a reality. So with the assistance of the Arlington Police and Fire Departments, Kye got his wish to be a superhero for a day. Dressed in his Batman costume, Kye teamed up with an adult Batman to fight crime. They defeated the Joker from robbing a bank, foiled the Riddler’s plan to set off a bomb, and ended the day by receiving the key to the city of Arlington.

As someone who has had family members and friends diagnosed with cancer, not only is the disease a toll on a person’s body, but also their spirits. As cancer treatments seem to stretch on and on, days with smiles and cheer start to run in short supply. Considering how draining those times can be, the people at A Wish With Wings should be commended for bringing some much needed joy to the lives of Kye and his family. Pretty amazing what a few grown men dressed up like comic book characters can accomplish, isn’t it?