Chicago boy's Mayor Lori Lightfoot costume goes viral

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 4-year-old Chicago boy's Mayor Lori Lightfoot Halloween costume has gone viral, with even the mayor herself acknowledging that he "nailed it."

But there's more to young Idris Lockett than his fantastic trick-or-treating getup, and his story is one of incredible perseverance.

Idris is a natural in front of the camera, and his mom has always believed the little guy would be famous. It's just happening faster than she imagined.

"Idris is very resilient," Catherine Lockett said. "That sums him up."

Shortly after he was born, Idris was diagnosed with a heart defect.

"Idris was about 24-hours-old when we found out he had a congenital heart defect," Catherine said.

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At just one week old, he underwent life-saving surgery at Lurie Children's Hospital. A second one followed shortly after. Then earlier in 2019 he suffered a setback.

"He was at a birthday party in a bouncy house and he was fatigued and his face was so swollen I thought maybe it was some fluid retention," Catherine recalled. "But it wasn't, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure."

"He had three heart surgeries," said Deunta Lockett, father. "But now as you can see he's very active. Very loving, caring. It's a blessing."

Weeks of intensive care at Lurie Children's Hospital and one special visit made Idris a superstar. By accident, Idris became part of a Lurie campaign about pediatric heart care.

"And he ran out of his room, and he was just so happy and so full of energy that the photographers took their focus off the other children and just zoomed right in on him," Catherine said.

That campaign was featured on billboards along Chicago's expressway and in magazines. And now the photogenic 4-year-old is making headlines again.

Catherine said she got the idea for the mayoral costume after joking that her son kind of looked like Lightfoot while putting a coat on him. Deunta wasn't a fan of the idea at first.

"It was kind of crazy because I work for CPS and after being on strike, to have him dressed up as her was kinda funny," he said.

It worked out, and now Chicago knows a little more about Idris Lockett.

"He's Idris. He can do anything. It's my, it's my hero," his father said.