Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Signature event’s first return since 2019
Beaumont Children’s is preparing to light the night for its littlest patients with the beloved holiday event, ‘Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams,’ Dec. 9-24 at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, the new name for Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.
Following a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the community is invited to return once again to support pediatric patients hospitalized during the winter holidays. At 8 p.m. for ten minutes each night, friends and neighbors of all ages have been coming out since 2017 to shine beams of light up to the windows of the pediatric unit for children to enjoy.
Pediatric patients, in turn, return the festive glow with flashlights of their own. The event was conceived to raise the spirits of children who might feel isolated or have a hard time settling in for a good night’s sleep during the winter holidays.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be back again to offer this extraordinary program to our patients and their families,” said Moonbeam’s co-leader Kathleen Grobbel, Child Life supervisor at Beaumont Children’s. “It’s a truly tangible experience, one in which patients, families and even members of our health care team feel cherished and cared for during what might otherwise be a difficult time.”
For the safety of the community and patients, the team at Beaumont Children’s is working closely with Corewell Health East infection control experts to monitor rates for RSV, COVID-19 and flu. If a cancelation is required, information will be communicated at Beaumont.org, through Beaumont social media channels and with the help of the media.
When Moonbeams for Sweet Dreams was first established in 2017 upon the suggestion of the Beaumont Children’s Pediatric Family Advisory Council, it was not known how well the community would respond to a request for support during such a busy time of year.
“We started circulating a sign-up sheet and asking team members to consider participating,” said Moonbeam’s co-leader, Lisa Muma, R.N, nurse navigator, Pediatric Oncology Long-Term Follow-up Clinic. “We were concerned no one would show up. We were surprised and delighted to find out that wasn’t something we needed to worry about. The community flocked to support us from the start. We are so proud and grateful.”
Attendees are asked to arrive by 7:45 p.m. to allow time to park; 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.
Parking is also 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.
From the Thirteen Mile entrance, follow the blue signs toward the North parking deck and park in the lot across from the parking deck entrance. Additional parking is also available near the Coolidge entrance and at the Neuroscience Center.
Participants are asked to:
- Stay home when experiencing symptoms of cold, flu or COVID-19
- Not bring drones or laser pointers
- Not enter the main hospital, but instead use restrooms in the Medical Office Building