Super heroes help hospitalized kids cope

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - Long hospital stays are tough for children, but now a super hero and his friends are helping to uplift spirits.

Michael Berginic dresses like a super hero to fight the blues and coax a few smiles at Johns Hopkins All-Children's Hospital.

"Oh, I like that there that's going to really show up," Michael said.

Michael volunteers his time to visit kids in the hospital as founder of The Life Smiles Project. He's set a lofty goal.

"Is 10 million smiles and not one less, and today's a start for 10 million smiles and it's not going to be less," Michael said.

Michael and his troop of volunteer artists provide fun and creative experiences for pint-size patients. Megan Jenkins has a daughter in the hospital.

"She's had fun coming here and getting to escape from the hospital room," Jenkins said.

"Trying to give them a little bit of a distraction from some of the situations that they are going through," Michael said.

They bring clay sea turtle pennants and coloring books to help break up the monotony of boring hospital stays.

"It's definitely made her happy having something like this to be able to come to," Jenkins said.

Bringing laughter and joy; That's definitely something to smile about.

"That's all we want to do is put smiles on the  face of children and make sure that they have a great time," Michael said.

Michael does this twice a week and hope to spread it through out the U.S. For more information, visit www.lifesmiles.life