The service of pediatric oncology The Korle Bu University Hospital in Accra, Ghana’s capital, characterized by quiet hallways, labored breathing and parents clinging to hope, briefly changed atmosphere with the arrival of a man nicknamed the “Brazilian Superman.”
Leonardo Muylaert, 2.03 meters tall, dressed in the iconic blue, yellow and red suit from the 1980s Superman movies, wrapped up a week of visits in Ghana on Friday, his first trip to Africa.
For several hours, cries of joy replaced sadness in this hospital service.
Children connected to drips joined for the first time in daysOthers, too weak to get up, smiled timidly.
Everywhere, children grabbed the hands of the “Brazilian Superman.”
Parents rushed to take selfies. Medical personnel filled the hallways, many of them with phones in their hands to immortalize the moment.
“He went from bed to bedpaying attention to each child,” said a nurse. “In some cases it is the first time we see them smile in weeks,” she added.
For Regina Awuku, 35, whose five-year-old son is battling leukemia, the moment was a miracle. “My son was so happy to see Superman. This means a lot to us,” he confessed to AFP.
“He was lying motionless, but he found the energy to get up as soon as he saw him. We had been waiting for that smile for a long time,” he explained.
plant a seed
Leonardo Muylaert, a public defender, said he deliberately chose Ghana to celebrate his birthday. “I feel close to the culture, the legacy and the joy” of the country, he declared.
His fame skyrocketed after CCXP 2022a great pop culture festival, when a video of writer Mark Waid, amazed by his resemblance to Clark Kent, went viral.
Leonardo Muylaert, known as the Brazilian Superman, poses for a photograph in Accra.
Muylaert then ordered a suit and turned that sudden fame into a commitment to solidarity, visiting vulnerable groups from Ecuador to Australia.
In Accra, after the hospital, visited a prosthetics workshop in the suburbswhere several amputee children shouted “Superman!” seeing him join their soccer game.
For Akua Sarpong, founder of the NGO Lifeline for Childhood Cancer Ghana, the effect was immediate. “The day was full of joy”he stated.
Muylaert said this visit reinforced his belief in the power of small gestures.
“Everyone can be a hero…No need for a cape. Happiness attracts. The smile on their faces changes the world,” he told AFP.
“We have planted a seed…The idea is to spread happiness everywhere. We may not change the whole world, but if we inspire one person, they will inspire another,” said this supportive Superman before returning to Brazil.
Leonardo Muylaert, known as the Brazilian Superman, takes a selfie with patients and their families.
