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Nonprofit Helps Save The Day For Colorado Children Fighting Illnesses

By Karen Morfitt

DENVER (CBS4) - A group of volunteers is traveling the country working with children who are battling a wide range of health issues.

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Tuesday, the nonprofit Capes and Crowns spent the day in Colorado.

"We wanted to give them an opportunity to be a kid," founder and photographer Kylie Cole said.

For the families who find themselves the focus of her camera lens, their lives transform.

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"Do you like the bat mobile? We could do some shots that look like you're in the bat mobile," volunteer Halsey Hendrickson said while setting up one young man for his photo shoot.

The Sudbeck family was also there preparing for a Peter Pan shoot -- each one with their own costume. Their youngest, Izzy, dressed as Tinkerbelle.

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At 20 months old, she is also an Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML, survivor.

"In a few days it will be a year since she was first diagnosed with leukemia," her mother Cassie said.

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They came with another family, the Amos', who together formed the Justice League.

Their son, 9-year-old Jacoby has to have eight shots a day to help control his diabetes.

"We actually haven't thought about blood sugar in the last 45 minutes," his mother Lindsay Amos said.

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For their families and hundreds of others across the country, one hour of make believe can help erase months of painful memories.

"They can just have fun and not think about chemo and not think about hospital visits," Cole said.

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The Capes and Crowns team is giving families more than just a break from treatment.

Through the magic of editing, their finished photos delivered in poster size are not only a dream come true for the children they work with, but a daily reminder to keep fighting.

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"Having those pictures on the wall... they could resonate with that and see 'I'm strong. I can beat this,'" she said.

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Donations make up the entirety of the groups funding. If you would like to support Capes and Crowns you can do so by visiting their website.

Karen Morfitt joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2013. She covers a variety of stories in and around the Denver metro area. Connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @karenmorfitt or email her tips.

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