Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a superhero? That’s how I felt when I got to wear my Iron Man suit to the Children’s Inn.
I watched the first Iron Man movie several years ago, which got me interested in the character. However, it wasn’t until I got my first 3D printer that I had the idea to build Tony Stark’s suit of armor. You can read about how I did it in my article about 3D printing (linked here).
My plan always had been to volunteer in the suit to help sick kids, as I had seen people dressed as superheroes visiting hospitals. I had my first visit scheduled for June 20, the first day of their summer kickoff party, so they had several kids gathered in the main area listening to other volunteers playing music. I also brought 3D printed dragon keychains for everyone and they were a big hit with the kids and volunteers. When I first stepped out in the Iron Man suit, one of the young girls looked over and saw me in the suit. She had the biggest smile on her face; she gave a little wave to me.
Most of the kids were on the upper floor and thankfully there was an elevator; I can barely walk up stairs while wearing the suit. I mostly stayed in one spot, as kids came up to get pictures with me. When the camera was ready, the kids and I made the Iron Man pose, sticking our hand out like we’re about to blast a repulsor beam.
Throughout my time there, I was able to get many pictures with the kids and other volunteers. These children, some of whom had major quality of life issues, still had massive smiles across their faces and were in awe of seeing me walk out as Iron Man. They couldn’t believe that this entire suit came out of a 3D printer. These were some of the sweetest kids and some of the happiest people I had ever met.
They asked for me to come back, so I returned two more times in the summer. The second time, they wanted me as the Mandalorian, so I wore the helmet that I printed. I also 3D printed small versions of Baby Yoda to give out, as well as some fidgets. The third time, I went with my mom to help make the kids custom shirts. They would tell us what they wanted on the shirt and we used a Cricket machine to cut out designs. We were there for about four hours that day to make all the shirts.
I’m hoping to have more experiences like this where I can share my passion with others and make a difference in people’s lives. It felt amazing to wear something that I had worked tirelessly on and seeing people really enjoy it. I love making people smile.
