FORT WORTH, Texas — Braden Baker may only be 13 years old but that hasn't stopped him from reaching hero-status in the eyes of the experts — Marvel Comics.
His actions to give hearing aids to the less fortunate has led to the creation of his very own comic book and an episode of Marvel’s Hero Project on Disney+, which premiered Dec. 17.
“I was so like... blown away,” he said. "It’s crazy to finally be able to watch it, and it was so exciting.”
Baker doesn’t shoot webs or fly, but he does travel the world spreading what he calls “hearing smiles,” which happen the moment someone hears clearly for the first time.
“When they get their hearing aids they cry,” Baker said. "They laugh.”
His superhero origin story started when his dog Chewie destroyed his hearing aids in 2017. The family told WFAA they cost $3,000 to replace.
He lived in near silence for days.
“It’s kind of like a whole different world,” Baker said.
That's when it struck him that people who can’t afford hearing aids live in that world all the time.
Baker started a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $112,000 since June 2017.
Baker’s efforts got the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. He appeared on her show and received a $20,000 donation.
Since then, he’s raised even more money and traveled to South America and Africa delivering hearing aids in person.
Disney and Marvel learned of his story and developed the Marvel Hero Project comic and episode, which will continue to stream on Disney+.
Click here to read the comic and learn more about Baker's mission.