Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams lights up Michigan hospital as holiday tradition continues

Nightly Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams lights up the front of Corewell Health Children's hospital in Royal Oak as volunteers outside the building switch on flashlights at 8 p.m. for 10 minutes, sending beams into the pediatric rooms above and inviting children to respond with their own lights.

The ritual, which has become a staple of the hospital's holiday programming, runs for 10 minutes each evening and stretches through Hanukkah and until two days before Christmas. Volunteers come from a mix of groups, including high school students, Scout troops and sororities, and the participation level varies with the day and the weather.

Organizers say the nightly ritual helps counter isolation for families and patients during the holidays. Among the children is 4-year-old Zoe Hostetter, who is undergoing chemotherapy, who shone her own flashlight toward the crowd below while her grandfather, Tim Schuele, watched from the street. A sense of shared light and connection is a big part of the appeal for families who spend days inside the hospital while the world moves on outside.

Kevin Barringer, whose son Connor spent two months at the hospital in 2020 recovering from a spinal injury, said the nightly beams provide reassurance for families and patients who can feel cut off from the world. He said the lights shining upward offer a tangible sign that people care. Stephanie McMillan, holding her 3-month-old daughter Wren and pointing a flashlight toward the windows, said the gesture helps people inside feel less alone and reminds the community that they are not forgotten.

Corewell Health has overseen Moonbeams since 2017. This year's edition began Dec. 9 and runs through Hanukkah and each night until two days before Christmas. The event attracts a wide range of participants, with groups such as youth hockey teams showing up with lights attached to their sticks. Lisa Muma, a registered nurse and Moonbeams organizer, said the collaboration brings together families, patients and volunteers in a community effort that can lift spirits during a difficult time.

The hospital hosts a variety of holiday activities in tandem with Moonbeams, including parties, blanket-making and storytime events for families. Lefkof noted that the effort helps remind families and patients that the community is thinking of them and standing with them, even as days and nights blur in the pediatric unit. The Moonbeams program is designed to offer a beacon of light and hope—an opportunity for the hospital to provide something positive while families cope with treatment and uncertainty during the holidays.

This is a wonderful way for the community to offer love and support during a hard time, Lefkof said, underscoring the broader mission of the hospital to provide care that goes beyond medical treatment to the emotional well-being of children and their families.