"Heroes"

24 March 2026

2 mins 06s

A hero is born.

Like many kids his age, Kai Roth's prized possession is an action figure. Unlike many kids his age, Kai's favourite action figure is based on his dad, Jon. It has Jon's tattoos and jiu-jitsu robe, plus more hair on its head (a proper fuzzy Action Man cut). Hair or no hair, the doll represents how much Kai idolises his father—a bona fide superhero, as far as he's concerned.

Jon, for his part, doesn't think he's worthy of admiration—not when his son has already achieved so much in his short life. Kai has Down Syndrome, and it's taken the strength of countless fighters to get to where he is today. When Kai survived surgery, parents Jon and Tasha knew they had an actual hero to look after (the scar down the boy's chest a permanent reminder of his fortitude).

Said scar inspires a standout sequence where father and son flex their muscles, as much Jon copying Kai as Kai copying Jon. No matter how proud the latter is to earn a blue belt, he lifts the former like a trophy he still cannot believe he's won. As director Kelsey Larkin's heartfelt film draws to a close, viewers are left to appreciate how many forms strength takes in time for World Down Syndrome Day.

Canada

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