Amelia Crespo Delgado, a 12-year-old from Aubrey, is on her way to becoming the next superhero.
This high-spirited young lady wants to be the next Stan Lee’s Super Kid, and she’s on a mission, doing superhero tasks along the way.
“I [use] my hearing to help others,” Amelia said.
When Amelia was a baby, she was diagnosed with progressive hearing loss and uses cochlear implants to hear, and it’s one of her many superpowers.
She is competing in the nationwide 2026 Stan Lee’s Super Kid Competition, for ages 5-17, to show off what makes them real-life superheroes.
The winner will receive $25,000, VIP tickets to the 2027 L.A. Comic Con, and be the star in a special-edition comic book.
If chosen, comic book writers and artists would turn her real-world superpowers into a superhero character; one of Amelia’s powers would be controlling her hearing with her cochlear implants. Her character would be proud of who she is, like Amelia.
“She's a kid that is very happy with who she is,” Mary said. “She never covers her cochlear implants.”
Amelia is currently number 1 in the top 10 of her group; voting will continue through November for the quarterfinals and so forth until the winner is announced in December.
She thanked everyone voting for her in Texas and Puerto Rico.
Amelia is the only person in her family with hearing loss; to her family, initially it presented some learning curves.
“At first, we felt a little lost,” her mother Mary Delgado emailed. “We had to do a lot of research and learn everything we could about her condition. We are incredibly grateful for cochlear implant technology, which has given Amelia access to sound despite her profound hearing loss.”
Mary’s advice to other families in a similar situation is to remind them that it will be okay.
“Early intervention is extremely important, but the work at home is crucial,” Mary emailed. “Pay attention to what makes your child happy and give them the tools and opportunities to grow in that area. With Amelia, that was drawing.”
Amelia shared that as soon as she could hold a pencil, she was drawing. She likes to create stories that inspire others.
“I never imagined that the creativity she showed as a little girl would one day lead to her publishing books at such a young age,” Mary emailed. “Watching her turn that creativity into something that inspires others has been truly special.”
So far, Amelia has published three books; her latest one is titled “If My Betta Fish Had Legs.”
In the story, she and her betta fish, Marla, go on “silly” adventures; the girl in the book also has cochlear implants.
Amelia said it's important to have characters with cochlear implants or hearing loss because she doesn't often see it represented in books, movies, and other forms of media, so she will continue to advocate.
“I don't want cochlear implants to be rare; I want them to be common,” Amelia said.
Adding that’s why the chance to be in a comic book would be “mind-blowing.”
When she grows up, Amelia wants to become a professional illustrator, animator, and model, and continue writing books.
“We are incredibly proud of Amelia,” Mary said in text. “At just 12 years old, she has already accomplished things many adults only dream of. But what makes me even prouder is how she uses her experiences to help other children. She embraces her cochlear implants and neurodiversity with pride and speaks openly about them, encouraging others to accept themselves and see their differences as superpowers.”
Amelia shared a parting message for other kids, “You are never too young to dream big,” Amelia said.
To support Amelia on her quest and vote her forward in the competition, go to her webpage at https://thesuperkid.org/2026/amelia-612f
