Mom fights to sell 'Supermanny' comic about disabled son

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. -- An Illinois mother is fighting for her son, who has cerebral palsy. In an effort to help pay mounting medical bills, she created a comic book in his honor. But DC Comics says she's not allowed to sell it.

"The Adventures of Supermanny" is about a 3-year-old boy who cannot speak or walk, but he can dream. That, his mom says, is Manny's super power. But when DC Comics saw the title and an application for a trademark, it asked her to stop selling it.

When it's a good day, Manny Bueno is smiling. His sisters are home, his friends are around, and he's being his usual silly self.

Holly Bueno has watched her son grow up a fighter. Trips to the hospital are frequent.

"And watching that the doctors are truly worried about him and having to go home and explain that to my daughters is scary," she says.

Manny is an inspiration to all who know him; that's why he's called "Supermanny".

"Everything that he goes through and he's still happy. It's evident he's happy and he goes through so much pain," says Stephanie Cook of Manny's Mission.

Last year, sitting in the hospital, Bueno began writing a book: "The Adventures of Supermanny."

"My driving force was I wanted to give myself a voice and my son a voice, and I want there to be a story out there where the main character is in a wheelchair, there aren't too many of those," she says.

She invested $5,000 of her own money, but can't sell it. DC Comics saw her trademark request and says it looks too much like Superman. But selling the book is crucial for Bueno as Manny's medical bills continue to grow as he ages. Manny needs a wheelchair ramp that will cost $25,000.

But Holly is not discouraged. She says her children drive her.

"Knowing that at one point he had three days to live, and I look down and my girls are looking at me. So I need to show them you don't just sit and pout, you don't just give up. You just keep going. You got to find a way to make it better," Holly says.

This weekend, Manny's Mission, a 5k fundraiser run in Romeoville, will raise money for the wheelchair ramp. The last two years, it helped pay for a hyperbaric chamber for Manny.

To sign up for the 5k or donate to Manny's cause, visit: http://ati5k.com/