A nightly tradition brings light and hope to children at Michigan hospital

ROYAL OAK Mich AP Helpers gripping flashlights waved them high above their heads when the clock struck p m shining beams through the frigid night sky and into the hospital s windows Exactly minutes later the enthusiastic crowd still holding their flashlights aloft in unison hollered sweet dreams toward children in the hospital several stories above them The nightly Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams tradition is again lighting up the night outside Corewell Robustness Children s hospital in Royal Oak in suburban Detroit For minutes each evening contributors standing outside the hospital shine flashlights toward the pediatric rooms above delivering a message of hope and bliss The kids return the sentiment with their own lights which they shine toward those below To be stuck in the hospital and feel like the world is moving on without you outside feels a little bit isolating a little lonely feels like maybe you ve been forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season commented Amanda Lefkof a child life specialist at Corewell Among the children in the hospital is -year-old Zoe Hostetter who is undergoing chemotherapy treatments On a modern night she shone her own flashlight toward the bundled-up well-wishers below with her grandfather Tim Schuele by her side It s just a big group of people that they don t know but they see the love being sent by the lights he reported They re here kind of by themselves or with just close family and that s it for days On these nights though the children are far from alone Kevin Barringer was among those flashing lights toward the windows one night last week Barringer s son Connor spent two months at the hospital in recovering from a spinal injury and they were on the receiving end of the lights It gets pretty dark up there for the kids and for parents as well Kevin Barringer noted Having people down here letting them up there know that there are people with them and sending all their light up that way it means a lot Stephanie McMillan sitting in a darkened room held her -month daughter Wren in one arm and a flashlight in the other shooting a beam in the direction of those gathered below It helps the people inside here not feel so alone and the population members being able to be a part of bringing that Christmas ecstasy to the people that are in here McMillan disclosed The hospital also hosts holiday parties blanket-making and storytime events for families Plus a volunteer dresses as Santa and visits patients in their rooms and at the parties Corewell has been overseeing the Moonbeams event since This year s edition started Dec and runs through Hanukkah and every night until two days before Christmas Participants this year have included groups of high school students Scout troops and sororities revealed Lisa Muma a registered nurse and one of the event s organizers Sports teams often join including a youth hockey squad who exhibited up with lights affixed to their sticks Anywhere from dozens to hundreds of people gather nightly depending on the day of the week and the weather We really requested to come up with a way where we could remind the families and the kids and the patients in the hospital that we re still thinking of them that we re here for them that we re standing with them Lefkof announced In turn the pediatric section of the hospital feels a bit like Las Vegas where the days and the nights kind of blend together But the Moonbeams event gives the children something to look forward to during a demanding time for a large number of families This is a wonderful way to really offer them a lot of love when they re going through a hard time she noted Source