Brazilian 'Superman' Brightens Sick Children's Days in Ghana

In November 2025, Leonardo Muylaert, a 35-year-old Brazilian lawyer, visited Ghana's capital Accra on his first trip to Africa. Muylaert, known worldwide as the "Brazilian Superman," spent a week at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital's Child Health Department, where he brought joy and smiles to children battling cancer and other illnesses.

Muylaert's sudden fame began in 2022 when a stranger recorded a video of him at a Comic-Con convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil, amazed by his resemblance to Superman actor Christopher Reeve. Since then, Muylaert has been using his Superman persona to visit hospitals, schools, and charities, posing for pictures and trying to be a symbol of kindness and hope.

During his visit to Accra, Muylaert's presence had an immediate impact on the hospital. Children with drips taped to their arms sat upright for the first time in days, while even the most exhausted mothers lit up with joy. Nurses paused their rounds, and parents scrambled for selfies with the towering figure in the iconic blue-and-red Superman suit and cape.

"He moved from bed to bed, giving each child attention," a nurse whispered. "For some of them, this is the first time we've seen them smile in weeks." For 35-year-old Regina Awuku, whose five-year-old son is battling leukemia, the moment was miraculous. "My son was so happy to see Superman. This means a lot to us," she told AFP.

As Muylaert prepared to fly back to Brazil, he said the idea is to "spread happiness all over" and that "maybe we won't change the whole world, but as long as we inspire one person, that person inspires the other."