ST. LOUIS — The death of actor Chadwick Boseman is being felt across the world.
He left an impact on so many. Boseman played Black icons Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe. He died on Friday of cancer. Boseman had not spoken publicly about his cancer diagnosis.
In 2018, 5 On Your Side’s Mike Bush introduced us to then-11-year-old William Cosby. He was battling a brain tumor.
Hannah Heimos, a child life specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital spoke to Mike Bush in 2018 about making the masks that kids have to wear during proton beam therapy a little more creative.
"We're asking a lot of them to lay down and be still where if they can channel their inner superhero for a little bit, they might as well," she explained in 2018.
Cosby’s mask was the Black Panther.
"Everyday when I come for radiation, I move my Black Panther up," William told us as he showed us a bulletin board with a cardboard cutout of the Black Panther. "When I move it up the board it shows I only have four days left of radiation."
A photo the St. Louis Children's Hospital tweeted out with Cosby in the Black Panther caught Boseman's attention.
“RIP to a real real superhero and #GuardianOfChildhood, Chadwick Boseman. Thank you for being a light and motivator to William - and so many others,” St. Louis Children’s Hospital posted after learning of Boseman’s death.
