Kids with cancer and other childhood illnesses work hard with the medical staff at UF Health to fight their diseases. Officers with the Gainesville Police Department, or GPD, recognized their strength during a recent event at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital by bringing the children superhero capes.

Gainesville Police Department officers visited with UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital patient Victor Benfield during a recent visit to present patients with superhero capes.

“The GPD is a family and we support each other and the community we serve,” said officer Lonnie Scott Jr. “Several members of our GPD family have been impacted by the detrimental effects of cancer, and continue to fight. Children fighting these battles are an inspiration and we consider them to be heroes.”

With the assistance of the UF Health Shands Child Life Services team, officers helped the children choose capes, decorate picture frames with stickers, sing songs and play a few rounds of Simon Says.

According to Scott, a hero is defined as a person who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery or self-sacrifice.
“These children fight for their lives and experience more trial and tribulation than any of us could fathom,” he said. “And heroes should wear capes!”