Avengers, assemble! Colorado Springs photo studio offers pediatric patients, superhero volunteers day to remember

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The volunteers who perform as superheroes at Children's Hospital Colorado aren't just playing a role - they truly are superheroes to the kids!

Kids who fight supervillains every single day, in the form of medical conditions.

Recently, a Colorado Springs photo studio wanted to both honor these young fighters and say thank you to the caped volunteers - in a way only a photo studio can!

"We are having the superhero volunteers of Children's Hospital with the children and their families of Children's Hospital for a portrait session," said Kristi Williams, co-founder of Vita Brevis Fine Art.

Williams said the photo shoot was a way to both give pediatric patients a magical experience, posing with Thor, Spiderman and others, and give back to the volunteers who selflessly donate their time to children.

When 11 News was at the studio, located just southeast of downtown, it was during a comic book fan's dream Marvel-DC merger: Thor and Batman, side by side, taking photos and chatting with kids.

The kids approved of the Caped Crusader-God of Thunder team-up!

"I really liked this today because we got to see super-fun superheroes," said Joshua David Haubenschild.

"We get to sneak by Batman on the way to the bathroom, which was really funny!" his mom Heather laughed.

Families who took part in the photo shoot got to enjoy three rounds in front of the camera: One as a family, one with the superheroes, and one group photo with superkids and superheroes. The session was 100 percent free - for both the Children's families and the Children's superheroes!

"It's fun, but definitely a new thing, a new adventure," said "Thor" of his inclusion in the photo shoot.

"We really want to make sure that we thank these volunteers for all their time giving back to the kids," Williams said.

Thor and Batman - as with any superhero, we'll conceal their aliases under the costume! - are part of a team that goes to Children's Hospital Colorado on a regular basis to try to bring some joy to what is otherwise a trying time for the kids, their siblings, and their parents.

"For me, none of the kids are at the hospital for good reasons. Unless they're getting a cast off or something like that. For the most part, they're all there for some kind of negative experience. So for me, it's just about bringing a positive experience. When the kids look back and the families look back, 'Hey, remember when you were doing your chemo treatment, and Batman came by!' So there's a moment when that negativity is temporarily forgotten, which turns it into a positive moment. And that's what it really is for me, those little positive moments, both for the kids and for the parents to get lost in that moment of fantasy, where you forget the reason you're there, even for 15 seconds, there's a forgotten thought that, 'I'm not stuck in a hospital bed,' some kind of fantasy or beautiful, positive moment," said "Batman" of why he gives his time to the hospital.

"I spent a lot of time in the hospital as a kid, and I know I put my parents through quite a bit, so hearing Batman's story, and hearing him speak to those moments of levity for the family, knowing how much that would have meant to my family, kind of struck a chord with me and sense of direction and sense of purpose for these costumes, not just for the fun and the fandom, but giving it a meaning and sense of purpose is important," Thor echoed.

The day at Vita Brevis gave involved a moment of reprieve, both superheroes aid.

"The families that do experience their times at Children's Hospital, we're not doing that hospital setting, and then having something fun to do that's outside that setting, that still creates that extra positive moment," Batman said.

From high-fives with Thor to trying to lift his hammer ("Am I worthy?" Joshua asked as he took it, referencing the movies and comics), posing with Batman while wearing their own superhero garb, and even the camera flashes themselves, it was a day to remember for the Children's kids.

"I kind of liked it a bit because when it took a picture, it kind of blinded your eyes a bit, and that was kind of fun for some reason," Joshua said of taking photos.

"We've been very impressed with the superheroes and their knowledge on their background, and they're able to engage with the kids as who they are, representing Thor and Batman. So that's been really fun," Heather Haubenschild said.

She added of Vita Brevis putting the day together, "I think it's incredibly generous. They're a really well-known photo studio, so to invite kids from Children's Hospital to come and partake in this is really special and such an honor they'd be willing to do this for us."

"I think it's important as humans that we are involved with each other and help each other through whatever we are going through at that time," Williams said. "... We really appreciate being able to give back to the superheroes and the families today."

The families and the superheroes are each gifted with a 24-inch portrait from the shoot. Vita Brevis is also wanting to give Children's Hospital something special.

"We are, as a surprise, giving a 50-inch portrait to Children's Hospital to hang of the superheroes with the kids – I think it's going to be super cute!" Williams said.