Superheroes surprise young Inova Children's Hospital patients
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman, Supergirl, Spiderman and Captain America!
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue superheroes dropped by Inova Children’s Hospital in Falls Church for a special surprise Tuesday.
“Good to hop up?” Loren Jewell asked her fellow firefighters as she checked her rappelling gear.
Jewell swapped turnouts for a cape to become Supergirl Tuesday. She’s part of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue and brought some super support to the young patients.
Battalion Chief Matt Burns was right beside her, dressed in his own elaborate costume.
“Captain America by night, my alter ego,” Burns said with a smile.
“The whole reason firefighters become firefighters is to do something for their community and the kids are always the ones closest to our heart and this is best about,” he told 7News Reporter Victoria Sanchez.
As other members of the technical rescue team manned the ropes, the heroes dropped in. Supergirl, Captain America, Superman and Spiderman waved and even played games with the kids using dry-erase markers on the glass.
“The kids were thrilled when they got to look out their windows and see superheroes coming to say hi. During COVID they haven’t gotten any special visitors inside,” said Jamie Gentille, director of Child Life Services at Inova.
Firefighter Jewell knows visits like this are important.
“When I was 14 years old, I had bone cancer, childhood cancer and I treated for my cancer here in this hospital,” she explained. “And I’ve been in remission now for almost 17 years. I’ve been on the other side of the glass, so to be able to be on this side of the glass today and connect with them and just show them that they’re not alone and we’re here.”
The firefighters with Fairfax County Technical Rescue said they want to make the superhero visit an annual event.
