Stories

Make-A-Wish Makes Superhero Dream Come True for Boy with Langerhans Cell Histiocystosis

January 24, 2016

It’s not every day that superheroes team up to welcome a new member to the club.

Meet Silver Sword, a member of Teen Super Corps, the alter ego of Make-A-Wish kid Eli Simon, 14, of Burlington. His wish was to produce his own comic book. He had the opportunity to work with Marvel Comics.

“First, I actually went to New York City and met with the people at Marvel and gave them my ideas and they gave me their ideas about it. And then a little while later I got a first draft and all the art and the script and could review it and edit it,” Eli said.

Eli’s mom says this is truly a wish come true for this young man, who was first diagnosed with a rare disease when he was just 2.

“It’s called Langerhans cell histiocystosis,” Erin Simon explained. “It is a very rare blood disorder. It is called an orphan disease because it strikes so few children it’s really unstudied. So it can be very difficult to treat and cure.”

Eli is feeling better, but this was the day when he would see the finished comic book– a superhero signing party.

“I notice how a lot of them are Marvel, but Batman is here. He was not a Marvel hero. It’s really cool,” Eli said.

Batman was on hand to help a special guest comic book fan deliver the final product. Batman is a personal favorite of Sen. Patrick Leahy. Leahy even had cameo appearances in several Batman movies.

“You worry kids will read and use their imagination, they like comic books, they are reading and they are using their imagination. I started reading comic books when I was 4 years old. I just loved them,” said Leahy, D-Vermont.

And it was standing room only to get a signed copy of the new comic book.

“He has been doing well for some time now, so that kind of makes it even more special that we can really celebrate this victory and this amazing thing for him,” Erin Simon said.

These comics are not for sale, they are a limited edition for Eli to hand out to family and friends.

Read more at the source.

Stay Connected

Sign up for updates straight to your inbox.

FacebookTwitterInstagramYoutube