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ROYAL OAK — Beaumont Children’s Hospital has brought back its yearly tradition, Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams.
Moonbeams, which began in 2017, is back for its fourth year after taking a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 precautions. It began this year on Dec. 9 and will end on Dec. 24.
Each night at 8 p.m., visitors come to show their support for the patients at the hospital by shining beams of light to the windows of the pediatric unit.
The idea was brought to the hospital by a member of its Pediatric Family Advisory Council, Megan McClellan. McClellan, a Royal Oak resident, remembered the first year as being very grassroots, with people calling friends and asking to spread the word.
“I was so grateful and excited the first night, the first week, when cars were pulling in, we had 50-100, and we just sort of grew from there,” she said. “I think the idea has just really resonated with the community. I think that not only the kids inside get joy from it, you know, it gives them something to look forward to all day, it makes them feel a little bit less isolated for them and their parents, but I think also when I’m outside with the community, it’s really touching the hearts of people outside in different ways, too.”
The event was something that resonated with Katie Gott, another member of the advisory council and a Royal Oak resident. In 2014, her son, Henry, was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a form of liver cancer.
Gott’s son spent time in the hospital and battled cancer for a year before passing away. While the hospital staff treated them well, she said the experience was one that was scary, stressful and hard for both her son and her family.
“I like to say it’s kind of a numbing experience. You’re (wound so) tight. You just feel numbed,” she said. “So when Megan approached us about Moonbeams, it’s a nice way to help … stop the monotony in the hospital, give kids something to look forward to, and it also just brings the community together. It gives families a sense of hope.”
Gott believes that if Moonbeams had existed when Henry was in the hospital, he would have loved it.
“He would probably be excited about it all day,” she said. “It’s hard to find things to be excited about in the hospital, and this is one thing that I am fairly certain he would have been excited about.”
McClellan spent time with her three children in the hospital as well. She said she never had much experience in a hospital setting prior to that, but she didn’t realize what a disconnection patients and families instantly felt with life.
“You’re instantly kind of isolated and disconnected,” she said. “Just joining the (advisory council), I think, it’s been a very valuable experience for the parents who joined the group, but also for Beaumont, and Beaumont’s very in tune with making sure that they run all the initiatives and programs through our parent group to make sure it makes sense from a patient and family perspective.”
McClellan said she’s thankful the event still is going after six years and that people come out each night to show support.
“I’m just excited that the community has embraced us the way they have and are doing their part to add joy to kids’ hearts at the holiday time,” she said.
The final day of Moonbeams is Dec. 24. Each night, attendees are asked to arrive by 7:45 p.m. to allow time to park, and carpooling is recommended. Participants can gather on the sidewalk near the Medical Office Building and across from the east entrance. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to register online at www.beaumont.org/moonbeams, where more information can be found.
Parking is available in the small parking lot across from the north parking deck and just east of the Medical Office Building on the Corewell East William Beaumont University Hospital campus.
Participants are asked to stay home if they are experiencing symptoms of a cold, flu or COVID-19; don’t bring drones or laser pointers; and don’t enter the main hospital. Instead, use restrooms in the Medical Office Building.
