‘We’re changing the memory’: 2025 Miracle Child returns to Christus hospital to light tree

Published 5:45 am Monday, December 9, 2024

During an evening filled with cookies, crafts and hot chocolate, families, friends and Christus staff gathered for the annual Christus tree lighting at Christus Mother Frances Hospital. The tree is lit up every year by the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Miracle Child.

On Tuesday, Luna, 9, of Mineola, was announced as the 2025 Miracle Child. Although the spotlight is new for Luna and her family, she feels good. Despite the cold, Luna was looking forward to lighting both the Christus Christmas tree and the City of Tyler Christmas tree on Thursday night.

“I feel nervous and really excited at the same time,” Luna said.

When Luna was 5 years old, she began to experience alarming symptoms: fatigue, excessive thirst and weight lost. After her family moved to East Texas, her symptoms worsened. She would sleep for long periods at a time. One day her parents could not wake her up and they rushed her to the Christus Emergency Room in Lindale. At the ER, she learned she had Type 1 Diabetes. Afterwards, Luna was transferred to Christus Mother Frances Hospital and was able to get her blood sugar stabilized.

On Thursday evening, Luna and her family came back to the hospital for the first time since that time.

“We’re changing the memory,” said Luna’s mom Chelsey Clair. “It’s gone form this scary diagnosis. Now, it’s a beautiful time.”

Clair prayed for a platform to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes. After meeting Christina Mosier, program manager at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Christus Mother Frances Hospital, Clair learned about the work they do. Through this platform, they hope to improve testing for Type 1 Diabetes.

“Our dream is that children are tested every year at their early visit, then they get an A1c check,” Clair said.

Clair advises people to look out for these symptoms for Type 1 Diabetes: dehydration, weight loss, extreme hunger and frequent illness.

“They may be catching every single bug that comes around because their immune system is in desperate need of help,” Clair said.

At Christus’ tree lighting, St. Gregory Cathedral School sang various Christmas songs including “Feliz Navidad.” Parents gathered to support and watch their children sing as part of the program. Attendee Kristina McCoy, 42, came to watch her daughter perform. McCoy also brought her other kids to see Santa and the Christmas tree lighting.

“My kids love it,” said McCoy.

St. Gregory students and attendees watched and pointed excitedly at the sky as the Christus helicopter flew over them with Santa.

After the tree lighting, Coleman Swierc, of Public Relations at Christus Health Northeast Texas, encouraged people to read about Luna’s story and donate.

“Thank you, Luna, we appreciate you,” Swierc said. “Thank you for everything that you’ve done.”

CMN Hospitals provides funding to improve pediatric health. For 35 years, Christus Mother Frances has been the local CMN Hospital.

Through this funding, Christus has been able to fund phototherapy lights to treat jaundice in children, specialized vision screeners for babies and children with special needs, medical grade food models to help train recently diagnosed Type 1 diabetic kids how to properly eat along with their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Christus Cares special needs clinic.

To continue helping children in East Texas, you can donate here: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form.