Moonbeams continues to lift spirits of pediatric patients

ROYAL OAK — Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams, hosted by Corewell Health Children’s in Royal Oak, helps light up the lives of the youngest patients in the hospital during the holidays.

The annual event has been a staple at the hospital for seven years, and its coordinators are looking forward to many more years of Moonbeams. 

Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams will take place Dec. 9-23 at Corewell Health Children’s at William Beaumont University Hospital, 3601 W. 13 Mile Road. 

On each of these days at 8 p.m. sharp for 10 minutes, participants will come together with  flashlights, shining them up into the hospital rooms of the pediatric patients. The beams are meant to shine in hope and cheer to the young patients. 

Patients will also shine their lights back to the crowd to create a connection between the community and the patients, reminding everyone that they are not alone this holiday season.

Kathleen Grobbel, Child Life program manager and  co-leader of Moonbeams, said that this year the moonbeams will include some added sparkle that won’t be announced.

“We are going to have a little added sparkle on certain days, but that will be unannounced, where we are going to give out some fun flashing items to people who are the first to arrive,” she said. “Those will be random nights that we have the special lights passed out, thanks to some generous donors in our community.”

Grobbel said that she and her co-leader of the event, Lisa Muma, RN, are encouraging attendees to register online that they will be coming so that organizers can get a head count on how many people attend this year’s Moonbeams. 

Grobbel said hundreds of people come to the event each night, and every year she gets to talk to families or attendees who have heartwarming stories to share of why they are at the event.

“Usually people have a really touching story about why they are there to support the kids in the hospital,” she said. “And on the pediatric unit, it really means a lot for the kids. Watching them come to the windows and see the lights and just feel special for that little bit of time before they go to bed at night is really important for them.”

Muma said that she is “mostly retired” from Corewell Health, but she helps Grobbel with the Moonbeams event because it is her favorite event of the year. 

“It’s so wonderful to see the community come out and support our children and families who are stuck in the hospital during such a wonderful time of the year and missing out on their family celebration, school celebrations,” Muma said. “To have the community come out and let them know they are not alone and they are here for them, it’s just wonderful.”

Muma said that many of the families she has spoken to have made the event a family tradition. 

“The families tell me they are raising their children to really understand how important it is to support other children going through a tough time,” she said. “We have also had families who have been inside of the hospital now on the outside. They really understand how important it is and how wonderful it is that they are able to do that, having been on the inside themselves and kind of sad during the holidays, to now being able to be outside and cheer up other children.”

Because the event is popular each night, Muma and Grobbel are encouraging people to arrive at 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. to make sure they can get parking. Parking is located at the north parking deck; additional lots are near the Coolidge Highway entrance and Neuroscience Center.

Attendees are being asked to gather near the Medical Office Building across from the East entrance; signs will be posted to help people find their way. 

Drones and laser pointers are not permitted at Moonbeams. 

“I am just so grateful for our community. We couldn’t do this without an amazing community of families, individuals and our first responders that all come out. We could not do this program without them,” Muma  said. “We really appreciate them.”

 For more information on Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams and to register, visit core wellhealth.org/moonbeams.