Wow! What a huge heart!
Yuri Williams travels across the country in superhero costumes with one goal in mind — to bring joy to sick children in the hospital.
Hawaii News Now spoke to Williams who said he began his double life as a Superhero to cope with his grief. Williams lost his Mom to cancer in 2009 and spent five years trying to recover from the devastation her absence caused. After struggling through that, he realized, “there’s something I need to do to get rid of this sadness that I have.” That’s when he came up with the idea to help others get through their rough times.
Williams works full-time as a youth correctional officer and started taking his love for young people to the streets. He channeled his affinity for comic book characters into a lifestyle of spreading joy around the neighborhood. Williams began his mission dressing up as Spider Man, or other famous characters and surprising cancer patients and sick children. The good deed caught on around the city, so much so that its become his identity.
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“They don’t even call me by my real name anymore, it’s just Spidey or Spider Man,” Williams told Hawaii News Now.
The cape crusader said he just hopes to be a bright light for people who are in pain.
“I just tell them to fight as hard as you can. Don’t give up. They’re dealing with so much pain and medication. They’re sad every day. I just want to come in and uplift them for the couple of moments that I’m there,” Williams said.
Last year, he decided to take his mission on the road and visit every state. He recently visited all 50 states, rounding out his crusade with trips to Alaska and Hawaii. The endeavor was completed under his nonprofit, A Future Superhero and Friends which seeks to “provide essential supportive services, emergency services, and diversion to homeless veterans, men, women, disabled, ill and children.”
Wiliams admits that this work is as much for him as it is for the kids.
“I don’t know where I would be right now if it wasn’t for Spider Man,” he said.
He hopes to be able to put all of his energy into his organization on a full-time basis someday as he believes his sole purpose is to help people.
“I’m not asking for anything but just to uplift people, that’s it,” Williams said.
We love it. Williams is the type of hero we all deserve!
Photo Courtesy of Deke Farrow/The Modesto Bee