Kids with Special Needs Get Chance To Become Favorite Heroes During Free Photo Shoots
Giving back to the community is something many local businesses love to do. Not only do these businesses take pride in being a part of their communities, they also take care to show kindness and compassion to their neighbors every day.
In Texas, Endersby Photography Studio is changing the way people look at children with special needs. Nicole and Scott Endersby are the proud parents of three boys, two of whom are autistic.
The couple first met while working at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 2004. Scott became a PhotoPass photographer and spent his days snapping pictures of Disney characters with guests in the park.
“Scott has always been interested in photography and started Photographing for Disney in 2005,” Nicole told Liftable, a section of The Western Journal. “In 2010 we opened up our photography business.”
“We have been photographing special needs for six years now and this past April we started #EndersbysHeroes where we transform children with all different disabilities and their siblings into superheroes or their favorite character,” Nicole said.
“We are huge Disney fanatics,” Nicole shared in a Facebook video. Their love for favorite characters is certainly shining through with their #EndersbysHeroes project.
“It was important for us to make sure that these kids and their siblings feel like superheroes,” Nicole told KXAS-TV. “It’s a genuine gift from one special needs family to another.”
Nicole and Scott’s gift comes at no cost to the families. Instead they, along with other local businesses, take the time to raise money for the costumes and photo shoots. The kids get to keep the costumes too!
“We purchase all the needed items from equipment to costumes. Because of these amazing [business’] sponsorships, we have been able to make our photo sessions a success,” Nicole shared with Liftable.
Thanks to their fundraising efforts, the Endersbys have also been able to raise enough money to put on a private, sensory friendly screening of Toy Story 4, complete with appearances from characters from the movie.
They dress up like their favorite heroes, and with a little behind-the-scenes magic, Scott and Nicole transform those green screen photos into something quite epic!
“These kids and families need to be accepted just like anybody else,” Nicole told “Good Morning America.” “They are heroes for what they have to go through. In those moments, they felt like their true hero.”
“Our boys love superheroes,” Nicole told Liftable. “Our boys know that kindness matters. We teach them about kindness, inclusion and charity work and how it is important for everyone.
“They think that our #EndersbysHeroes sessions are pretty cool and they have their personal photos that Scott photographed hanging on their walls,” she added. “Which of course they have to show them off to everyone they know.”
Superhero characters aren’t the only ones getting a makeover. The couple allows children to pick any favorite character, princesses and Harry Potter characters included.
The Endersbys hope their work with special needs children and their families inspires others. “I hope others reading our story will be inspired to better accepting everyone no matter their journey in life,” Nicole said. “We hope to inspire more photographers to also want to photograph special needs families as well.”
Nicole went on to tell Liftable that “It’s important to bring awareness to the whole special needs community.” She said their work began with raising Autism awareness but now they have expanded to include other disabilities too.
These photos are stunning and #EndersbysHeroes are clearly making an impact that’s larger than life. No doubt these photos will be kept as keepsakes for years to come.
Do you know a child with a disability who could benefit from a superhero photo shoot? If you don’t live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, perhaps this family’s story will inspire you to start something similar in your own city.
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