ATLANTA — It's been ten years since Children's Healthcare of Atlanta began wearing capes to honor the city's most heroic patients—an initiative started by the original fearless "Cape Boy."
Dwyane DJ Pitts is now 13 years old. Still, his impact within the hospital lives on with a special day that is meant to encourage "the community to honor and celebrate the strong and resilient patients facing illnesses and injuries at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta."
“He was in a coma for eight days," Natoya Ruff, DJ's mother, said in an interview with 11Alive. “The chemicals burned him from the tip of his lip to two inches into his intestines.”
During his many months at Children's, a nurse made DJ a cape from a pillowcase. It was to encourage his spirit to be strong, even as his body was so frail.
DJ took to that cape, wearing it in times of strife to be strong; his mother said he quickly became known as the little superhero with even some celebrity attention.
“One day, Ludacris was here for an event and said, ‘Hey, there is the Cape Boy," Ruff said.
About six to seven months after his stay, DJ returned to thank the nurse who cared for him. That's when 11Alive first met DJ and his family and when we saw the already lasting power of that first pillowcase cape.
"I still remember how everybody helped me and kids like me feel special," DJ said.
And just like DJ, the cape movement has grown so much and continues to help so many all across metro Atlanta.
There are many ways to support Cape Day 2023:
- Buy or sponsor a Children's cape for $20 to show your support for our superhero patients. The deadline to buy a cape is Tuesday, Oct. 10.
- Create a personal or team fundraising page and ask friends to buy a cape or make a donation to help reach your personal fundraising goal.
- Wear a cape on Cape Day to show your support of our superhero patients at Children's.
- Post your Cape Day photos on social media on Friday, Oct. 20 and use the hashtag #CapeDayATL.
- Show your Cape Day spirit all year long
with a Cape Day Shirt!