5-year-old boy’s “Up” photoshoot with 90-year-old great-grandparents goes viral

Show me any little boy who watched the Pixar Classic, Up and didn’t want to be Russell, and I’ll show you a cave full of real purple unicorns. 

Even I wanted to be Russell after seeing the movie.

It was a dream come true for 5-year-old Elijah Perman when his mother, part-time photographer Rachel Perman told him he could be Russel for his fifth birthday photoshoot [1]. Russell, a fun-loving, loud, and curious Boy Scout (played by Jordan Nagai) is one of the main characters of the 2009 animated film, Up. The movie portrayed the adventures of Carl, an old widower who goes off in search of his wife’s dream destination in a balloon-flown house. 

Little Elijah got into the full Russel character, donning every piece of Boy Scout clothing from the yellow cap to the yellow shirt and grey shorts, the orange scarf, and the brown sash of badges. He wore a backpack and completed the look with a bundle of balloons attached to a tiny house. The perfect little Russel come to life.

Elijah was excited to have his 90-year-old great grandparents, Richard and Caroline Bain dress up as Carl and Ellie from the movie. Richard and Caroline are the perfect lovebirds and they pulled off their characters so beautifully well.

Children should be photographed more with their grandparents and great-grandparents. The elderly are a huge part of their lives and should never be excluded from photos with the kids.

Read: Touching First Day of School Photo Showing 8-Year-Old Comforting Classmate Goes Viral

The 5^th birthday was special to Elijah’s mom

Elijah is actually a twin and his sister was dressed as a princess on a lovely unicorn for her shoot that same day.

Rachel took the photos herself and shared them on Facebook with the caption: “I don’t always share personal projects on my business page, but these images are getting quite a bit of social media attention on my personal page! Just wanted to share with the people who have supported me in my ‘side hustle’!”

The post has so far garnered 1K likes, 1.3K shares, and over 300 comments.

Rachel explains that the fifth birthday meant a lot because she hadn’t been sure if she’d live to see that day.

“Five years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer right after my twins were born, and had fears if I would even get to see their fifth birthday,” Rachel told CBS News [2]. “My oldest was 5 at the time and I hated not knowing if I would get the same time with them that I got with her.”

After a year of battling with the condition, Rachel went into remission and has been waxing stronger ever since. She feels fortunate to have seen her babies turn 5, and she had to celebrate the day in a big way.

“It’s a celebration for me and them!” she said.

Image credits: Rachel Perman Photography / Facebook