The lengths our La Rabida parents will go to in order to provide the best care for their children can be humbling. Just take Felix as an example. The father of five used to work in restaurants and hotels, washing dishes and busing tables. But for the last 15 years he’s been a stay-at-home dad, caring for his son Israel who has muscular dystrophy. You can find Felix by his child’s bedside all day and all night, learning how to care for his son and listening intently to the nurses and doctors.

“It’s important for me to learn what the nurses teach about my son’s care. I need to take care of him,” Felix says.

Recently, his son Israel required a ventilator to help him breathe, and he found himself at La Rabida. He can’t return home until his family can learn how to care for his trach tube. So his dad Felix bought a headlight, one you might use for camping or spelunking. It helps him see what he’s doing, as the care team walks him through the process.

“For me, everything scares me. But I have to put my fear to the side.”

He puts the light on his head like a super hero, and cares for his son just like a doctor or a nurse, rising to the occasion – which makes sense.

He and his son love watching super hero movies, like the Marvel Collection and Star Wars. And Felix is definitely a hero.

 “I try to be calm and have confidence in myself and my skills and do the best I can do for my son,” he says.

For Parent’s Day on July 25, La Rabida honored our super hero parents, guardians and caregivers by providing them with snack boxes provided by Mattea’s Joy, and toiletry bundles donated by volunteers. It takes a village, and we couldn’t do it without the commitment of the families who are working so hard to overcome some of life’s most challenging obstacles.