‘The real Spider-Man’ | Health beat

Eleven stories up, Spider-Man peered his head over the edge of the Spectrum Health Helen DeVo’s Children’s Hospital.

One leg appeared. Then the other.

And then the superhero shot down the side of the round blue building and rappeled down with ease.

In the garden below, 6-year-old Robert Brooks Jr. watched mesmerized.

“That’s unbelievable,” said his mother Keisha McDonald, who cuddled her son close to her side. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

As Spider-Man walked slowly down the building, he waved to children in their hospital rooms through the windows. And he turned to wave to those watching from the garden. The Black Panther supported and monitored his progress on site.

The costumed crusaders, who normally work as window cleaners for modern window cleaning, appeared in the role of entertaining children in the hospital. the Children’s and family life team coordinated their arrival as part of their fall and Halloween celebrations.

“I think it’s really nice,” said Keisha. “Some of the kids here really need something to look forward to.”

Robert, wearing a gray winter jacket over his hospital pajamas, nodded when asked if he liked the superhero visit. He didn’t take his eyes off Spider-Man.

He had been in the hospital for a week and was being treated for a lung infection related to cystic fibrosis.

“This is only the second time he has left his room,” said his mother.

True heroes

“As a fan of superheroes, 8-year-old Emma Sharar watched Spider-Man’s descent with a mixture of awe and fear.

“See the strings move in the wind,” she said.

“He has to be the real Spider-Man. It’s windy and cold here. It’s probably windier and cold up there. “

Emma was sitting next to her mother Michelle Sharar in a purple shirt and pink and purple hoodie, holding onto her IV pole.

The superhero visit came at the right time, said Michelle.

Emma has a congenital heart defect and has undergone five open heart surgeries in her young life since she was a baby. That morning, after a week in the hospital for treatment, she was sad and wished she could go home.

When she found out about the superhero visit, “her attitude changed completely,” said Michelle. “She was so excited. That really makes the children happy. “

Although Wonder Woman is Emma’s favorite, she is a fan of all superheroes in general.

“You can do cool things like fly,” she said.

Her mother agreed that superheroes are impressive. But no robed crusader could compete with their daughter.

“She is strong and brave. She’s so nice, ”she said. “She is my hero.”

‘It is a present’

Wyatt Grill, 10, pushed his IV pole in front of him as he entered the garden, just in time to watch Spider-Man descend the last third of the building. When the superhero landed safely on the sidewalk, children, parents and medical team members broke out in applause.

“It was cool,” said Wyatt, his blue eyes sparkling. “It’s a bit like climbing.”

When it comes to superheroes, he’s a fan and has opinions.

“Thor is my favorite,” he said. “He’s really strong. And I like his hammer and ax.

“Black Panther is my second favorite because of its camouflage and durability.”

Wyatt, who has leukemia, came to the hospital three days earlier for chemotherapy.

He looks forward to getting home in time for Halloween – he plans to become a knight as part of his family’s royal costume theme.

His mother Jen Grill was grateful for the heroic entertainment of the superheroes.

“It’s nice,” she said. “It is a blessing to break up the day with joy. It is a present.”