Deep within, Christian always knew he was strong. As a baby, his family discovered his congenital heart condition after a crisis with his breathing.

“There were some nights I didn’t think he would make it,” Christian’s mother Marian shared.

He endured several surgeries and now is feeling pretty healthy thanks to his supportive relatives, close monitoring of his condition and daily medication.

Introduced to Make-A-Wish by his medical team at Advocate Children’s Hospital Oak Lawn, Christian shared that he would like to be a superhero just like his favorite comic book character. Make-A-Wish volunteers were thrilled to make it happen.

With help from some local organizations and national sponsor Watertree Health, Christian’s superhero wish came true in a spectacular way. He was summoned by a SuperBlack signal light that this help was needed. SuperBlack and his aide-de-camp, played by Shane Power, President of Watertree Health, devised a plan and then he was off to save the city accompanied also by his sidekick SuperRed, who is also his little brother.

SuperBlack and SuperRed fought villain after villain across the city. Christian traveled by police motorcade from McCormick Place to the Adler Planetarium and finally to Maggie Daley Park, taking out bad guys one after another in all of these landmark locations.

Christian’s mother Marian was so touched to see how the wish experience was encouraging her son. “He’s usually very quiet and kind of shy, but today, when he slipped on his SuperBlack costume, it was like he was a different person,” she said. “He was so confident and ready to take on the world.”

SuperBlack also had a number of fans cheering him on. Employees of Watertree Health created inspiring signs and shouted their support as Christian defeated his last and final villain.

“I am the mother of a superhero,” Marian said with smile.

And, as one of the reporters covering SuperBlack’s heroics said, Chicago can sleep safer with this hero protecting the city.