That sweet little face belongs to Anthony Smith, a small boy with a genetic disorder that severely affects his hearing.  The damage is bad enough that he has to wear the hearing aid pictured above which his family has affectionately named ‘blue ear’.  Recently though something had come between Anthony and his blue companion- heroes.

Who can’t remember those days growing up when our dearest deepest wish was to don the cape and spandex and save the day?  Zooming through the air, unbelievably strong, ridiculously attractive- who wouldn’t want to be them? But what if you’re already starting from behind? What if you’re a little boy that has to wear an apparatus in your ear just to be able to hear what the average person does? It can seem daunting to aspire to the super human when just regular human doesn’t seem to apply to you.

So Anthony put aside his blue ear and told his Mom that super heroes don’t wear hearing aids.

That’s when his Mom tied on her own cape and went above and beyond the call of duty. Instead of giving him a pat on the head and assuring him that those people aren’t real so it doesn’t matter, she wrote to Marvel Comics explaining the situation and asking if indeed, super heroes don’t wear hearing aids. They responded in true comic fashion and sent little Anthony proof that super heroes did wear hearing aids. Namely a piece of cover art picturing marksmen Hawkeye wearing his hearing device.

But that’s not all. Within a few days Marvel had also sent Anthony a very special delivery.

They made him a super hero named Blue Ear and even gave him some nifty catch phrases.  Marvel also sent a sketch with Blue Ear and Hawkeye together, pretty much making a little boy very happy.

Every day we make small concessions of our conscience. In business and in our families the small truths and kindnesses that feed the soul can be overlooked or ignored. I am glad to say in this case that wasn’t so. A loving mother and a big company took the time and care to make a little boy feel special. Well done, very well done.