This Guy Dressed As Iron Man Attends A Charity For Kids With Disabilities Every Year. His Story Is Beautiful

#1 I told him he should keep them, and he gave me this flower instead.

#2 He wanted to do the claw instead. I went with it.

#3 Unabashed joy is one of my favorite things in the world to see. After we took this photo, he hugged me for at least a full minute.

#4That's my brother, in the chair in front. I don't have a picture from this year's, because he passed away three weeks before this all took place.

Christopher: 1991-2014.

#5 Adorable bear hug, with adorably disproportionate strength. It was a death grip, seriously.

#6 Every year, he attends "Teen-Tastic Fishing Derby for Downs Syndrome" dressed as Iron Man.

#7 get asked occasionally why I do things like this, and if it's worth it. It is worth it. But the reason I do it is a little complicated. It's true I'm a total ham, but I do it because I get how hard it can be for families to be caretakers as well.

#8 The hosts... Every year, they donate the use of their farm so that we can spend money on prizes and games for the kids instead.

#9 So don't listen, please, to people who say things like "useless fantasy." That means they probably never needed it, and I'm glad for them that they don't, because that also means their lives are pretty good. But they don't understand, and frankly, we don't need them to.

#10 This was the best I could do.

#11 87 degrees and sunny - perfect weather for being in a silver bodysuit covered in armor.

#12 All I wanted to say was that sometimes, a little fantasy can make all the difference for people, whose lives are filled with many hard realities. I got into costuming to escape, and sometimes I can help other people escape too. We all need a breather sometimes, a little bit of air, and pretend, before we can shoulder it again. Parents need it. Siblings need it, and someday, children might need it too.

#13 Yes, the armor was handmade by me. It was my second year doing it, and I've started to get things figured

#14 He just wanted to share with me. Sometimes the generosity of people blows me away.

#15 He said I was his hero, and asked his mom if it was okay to shake my hand.

#16 He asked if he could fly with me...