Superheroes take over Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for annual Cape Day celebration

Superheroes took over the hallways at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital on Friday.

Patients and their families decorated capes and signs before parading through the hospital for Cape Day, the annual tradition honoring the strength and bravery of children battling illnesses and injuries.

"Everybody's smiling and uplifted because we're all here for the kids," said Children's Healthcare CEO Patrick Frias. "You want to make their lives and their families' lives better."

Frias served as Cape Day's grand marshal.  He told CBS News Atlanta the tradition began 13 years ago, inspired by a young patient.

"We had a little guy named DJ who was here, and he was injured, and he was running around wearing a cape all the time. He came to be known as a kid who wore a cape, and from that we developed Cape Day to honor our superheroes like DJ every year," he said.

Not every superhero celebrated inside the hospital.

Betts Field is 18 months old. She spent 125 days in the hospital fighting for her life.

"Betts had an abdominal defect called an omphalocele, so her liver was forming outside of her body," said Betts' mother Kate Field.

Field said doctors discovered the defect before Betts was born, and through months in the hospital she held onto the promise of life outside those walls.

"We promised her that there was chocolate and queso and puppies and rainbows outside of the NICU," said Field, "so we just encouraged her to fight each and every day."

Now Betts is home, and this Cape Day she is wearing her cape for the children still waiting for their own homecoming.

"I think this year we're really honored to wear it in honor of other children who are fighting their battle and to encourage them to stay strong like Betts and brave like Betts," said Field.

Sometimes the smallest superheroes have the biggest stories of strength.