“They want to run, they want to play, they have the same hopes and dreams as other children,” Renee Bergeron told BuzzFeed News.
After her youngest son, Apollo, was diagnosed with a heart defect, photographer Renee Bergeron noticed a stigma against kids with special needs.
When people saw Apollo's feeding tube in public, she said many seemed to feel scared and uncomfortable.
Renee Bergeron / Via littleearthlingphotography.com
To help break down the stigma, Bergeron dressed Apollo in a superhero outfit and took his photo. Apollo, who is usually shy, opened up while playing around in his costume during the photo shoot.
Renee Bergeron / Via littleearthlingphotography.com
The Bellingham, Washington, resident thought if playing superhero worked for Apollo, it might empower other children and their families, too.
So she does photo shoots for free as part of "The Superhero Project" with children like 3-year-old Cody, who has Down syndrome.
It's a pet project for Bergeron, who usually focuses on birth photography.
Renee Bergeron / Via bakersdozenandapolloxiv.com
"When you take them out there and you dress them up like this and you let them do their thing, their personality comes out," Bergeron, 39, told BuzzFeed News. "Every child that I’ve had out here has just responded beautifully to it."
Renee Bergeron / Via littleearthlingphotography.com
