'Superheroes' Give Hope To Parents Of Premature Babies At Boston Hospitals

BOSTON (CBS) - A spark of hope comes in the form of once premature babies who are now helping new parents focus on the future.

Tuesday is World Prematurity Day, a day to raise awareness for premature babies and their parents. Having a teeny baby covered in tiny tubes can be frightening, but now there are a few special kids who are coming to the rescue.

Baby Kai had no idea that there were certain life events you do not want to arrive too early for, like being born. He was 29 weeks and 3 days weighing only about two pounds. Now he is 3 pounds, 4 ounces, but with milestones measured in ounces life is too fragile for Kai's mother Sasha to picture her son as a big boy.

On Tuesday, Sasha and other parents got some help from a few kids in capes. Nick, Olivia, Scarlett, Grayson, and Ella are a new type of superhero who meet not in the halls of justice, but in the halls of Brigham & Women's Hospital. They were previously born premature, now they dress up as superheroes all for the March of Dimes.

The March of Dimes organized this day of gratitude for parents with babies born premature. The kids come back to thank their doctors and nurses and parents walk through the NICU handing out blankets and words of encouragement to other parents.

"It's hard to imagine when you're in this situation and your baby is so small," said mother Sasha. "So I felt a lot of hope."

Over the weekend the kids in capes and their parents visited nine Boston hospitals delivering care packages from the March Of Dimes and providing hope for parents.