Parents have been dressing their children in adorable Halloween costumes forever, but one family's quest to give their infant son the perfect outfit is making headlines for its heartwarming message.
A video of father Eric Hart constructing a miniature Iron Man suit for his son, Collier, has gone viral, and it's not just because the costume is adorable. As Hart says in the video, "Our son has spent his entire life in the hospital" since his premature birth in July, and "for his first Halloween, we needed a costume that would help him feel brave."
In an interview with Today.com, Hart explained that taking inspiration from "Iron Man" was the logical choice, because Collier has "been hooked up to all those machines and wires, and that's similar to what Iron Man went through."
As a professional prop maker, Hart had the tools at hand to construct a custom costume for his son, and worked for several days on the outfit, which he fashioned out of foam and a onesie. The father told Today.com that the family planned to take some pictures of Collier to share with loved ones, but when he posted a video of the costume-making process online, the clip quickly went viral, prompting reaction from people all over the globe.
"It just resonates with them of being able to find a small moment of joy during months and months of physical and spiritual exhaustion," Hart told Today.com, adding that he and his wife just want to give their child some semblance of stability through the tough road ahead.
"Even though we're in the hospital, we're trying to do everything that a regular family would do and celebrate all the holidays," Hart said. " ... When he's older, he'll be able look back and hopefully see that his parents have basically been giving him a normal life ever since he started."
[via: YouTube, Today.com]
Photo credit: Eric Hart via YouTube