Central DuPage Hospital celebrates its smallest superheroes
Jack Cerone is only 15 weeks old, but he's a superhero in the eyes of his mother, his nurses and his doctors.
The tiny, 6-pound boy was sporting a red, blue and yellow onesie and cape Tuesday that made him look like a mini Superman.
To top it off, a nurse decorated the outfit with a diamond containing the letters "SJ" - for Super Jack - as part of the second annual Superhero Day at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.
Since his birth at 25 weeks gestation, Jack has undergone two surgeries and numerous medical procedures. He's grown from a fragile preemie, weighing less than 2 pounds, to a stronger baby who will be ready to go home soon.
"Everything was touch-and-go in the first month. He's had steady progression after that," said Jack's grandfather, Mike Gagliano.
His mother, Andrea, choked up when asked how the past four months have gone, but she said the care Jack has received in the neonatal intensive care unit has been amazing.
"Best place," she said with teary eyes. "Best doctors. Best nurses. Just the best."
Superhero Day at the hospital is a celebration of all that - the strong, little heroes like Jack, and the adult heroes who save their lives.
Dr. Jeffrey Loughead, the hospital's pediatric medical director, said hosting special events such as Superhero Day is one way staff is able to make patients feel a little more comfortable.
"Kids don't dwell on being sick," he said. "They continue to live life and seek out new experiences and enjoy the things that happen around them. We try to make events like this a little fun for them, and really to celebrate the struggles they go through."
Older children at Central DuPage, Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva and the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center in Warrenville had a chance to decorate their own masks and capes as part of the celebrations.
Loughead said some of the patients have "minor issues" and are able to recover quickly, but others have cancer or chronic illnesses that they must cope with every day.
While the crafts were a nice distraction from those problems, the highlight of the day for many of the patients at Central DuPage was a visit from Superman and Spider-Man.
The two inched down the building's exterior, waving through large windows at several wide-eyed, smiling patients and their parents. In the lobby of the Women & Children's Center, the children also got a chance to high-five Batman and Superwoman.
"We did this last year for the first time and knew that we had to do it again because the kids just loved it," said Angie Black, clinical director of inpatient pediatrics. "It's really during a time that they're not feeling so great, so it's nice and uplifting for them."