Disabled children can face a lot of challenges - but one photographer from Washington wants to make sure they recognize that they all have a super-human ability to conquer any challenge set before them . For The Superhero Project , Renee Bergeron , 38 , photographs children with special needs as superheroes , dressing them up with capes , goggles , and wands in order to make them feel like they can do anything . ' I think a lot of people look at others with special needs and think of them as `` less '' in some ways , ' Mrs. Bergeron , who also has a parenting blog , recently told The Mighty . 'Let ’ s face it , though — these kids are all fighters . The obstacles they overcome daily just to cope in our world ought to make us all see them as superheroes . ' Caped crusader : Avery , pictured , was photographed for Renee Bergeron 's Superhero Project ; Avery was born prematurely , has had multiple brain surgeries , and has a feeding tube in her stomach . Powerful shots : Mila , left , suffers from speech disorders , while Mordecai , right , was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and has several missing fingers and toes . Mrs. Bergeron 's first little superhero subject was her own son , Apollo , now four . Apollo was diagnosed with a rare heart defect when he was 18 months old and , in addition to undergoing several medical procedures and surgeries , had to be fitted with a feeding tube at a young age . Despite his health problems and the tube protruding from his stomach , when Apollo was two , Mrs. Bergeron said , he would pose for pictures with 'such strength and confidence ' . His mother knew that one day Apollo might feel self-conscious about the tube , so she wanted to document him looking strong and proud , in the hopes that the images might inspire him to feel that way again later on in life . Proud princess : Victoria , pictured , was born with Congenital Femoral Deficiency , which affects her legs , hips , and knees . Super cute : Mrs. Bergeron 's son Apollo , left , was her first subject ; Melanie , right , is autistic , epileptic , and has Sensory Processing Disorder . After speaking to other moms of children with special needs on Facebook , Mrs. Bergeron decided to take similarly empowering photographs of more disabled children . In 2013 , she began working on the The Superhero Project , taking pictures of children with physical disabilities , autism , and sensory disorders free of charge . After Apollo , she photographed Avery , a little girl born prematurely who underwent multiple brain surgeries , Melanie , a four-year-old with autism and epilepsy , and Cody , a red-headed boy with Down syndrome . Tough cookie : Mrs. Bergeron says she 'seriously fell in love with ' Cody , pictured , who has Down syndrome , Sensory Processing Disorder , and Speech Apraxia . Watch out , bad guys : Avi , pictured , faces ' a variety of sensory and social challenges ' , but is still 'vivacious and full of life ' 'My hope is that we can spread awareness about special needs , while giving encouragement to families through the gift of professional photography , ' she explained on her website . She continued : 'While their special needs are what brought them to the shoot , I wanted the images to capture their individual spirits . ' Mrs. Bergeron and her husband , Chuck , also have 13other children , nine of whom are biological and five of whom are adopted . Apollo , born in June 2010 , is their youngest child .
another photographer , grace , captures people with disabilities at their most confident for her Superhero Project . The uk - based photographer 's first subject was her son , Apollo , who has a feeding tube in his stomach . She takes the photographs free of charge to support families and to spread awareness .