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Children's Hospital Celebrates Everyday Heroes

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You could say there's a superhero in every one of us. That's what Univeristy of Minnesota's Amplatz Children's Hospital thinks.

On Thursday, staff and patients will dress up as superheroes to honor real life superheroes.

Every day, the staff and patients at the University of MN Amplatz Children's Hospital go the extra mile to treat, heal and cope with life-threatening diseases.

Today, they will celebrate their journeys and hard work with "My Superhero Day."

"It first started as a day to celebrate superheroes," said Amy Verburg, child family life specialist. "A couple years ago we shifted the theme as a day to celebrate patients as superheroes and the staff that takes care of them."

Stephanie Spader, of Amplatz Children's Hospital, said it's a good way to describe these kids -- as superheroes.

"I think it's really cool because all of the kids that are in the hospital are superheroes," she said. "They've been through a lot more than what we could ever imagine going through."

These real life heroes will be dressed up as their favorite fictional superhero like Wonderwoman and Superman. Or they think outside of the phonebooth.

"Some people get really creative and create their own. They look like white blood cells to fight infection," said Rebekah Spader, a patient.

Little Rebekah knows all about superheroes.

"(They) fight bad guys," she said.

And that's something she can relate to -- her body is fighting bad cells while she's at the hospital.

For Melissa Becker, her superhero is daughter Lexi's bone marrow donor.

"We don't know who they are and it's kind of like a superhero for us," she said. "We don't know their identity, they're out there somewhere. They gave her a second chance at life."

This is the third annual "My Superhero Day" at Amplatz Children's Hospital.

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