Published on Oct. 30, 2026
On Friday, Oct. 30, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital partnered with the Long Beach Fire Department to bring Halloween to life for young patients who might otherwise miss out on traditional trick-or-treating. Miller Children’s & Women’s event hall was transformed into a vibrant Halloween playground, where patients traveled from one themed station to the next in wagons and wheelchairs or alongside their care teams, collecting treats and taking in the elaborate displays.
Guided by Child Life specialists and uniformed firefighters, patients stepped into themed worlds created throughout the event hall, from a Mario Kart-inspired racetrack complete with go-karts, question blocks and giant mushrooms to a “101 Dalmatians” station filled with spotted dogs, treats and bubbles. Other displays featured glowing pumpkins, spooky decorations and tables overflowing with Halloween goodies.
The costumes were just as elaborate. Four-year-old Luie Contrevas arrived dressed as a firefighter in his own fire engine and joined Long Beach Firefighter Calvin Bell for the festivities. Seven-year-old Dazel Lopez, a patient at the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute, transformed into Jack Skellington and climbed behind the wheel at the Mario Kart-themed racetrack. Two-year-old Pepper Piñon joined the celebration as a black cat, while other patients and siblings dressed as Chucky, scary clowns and other Halloween favorites.
Characters including Darth Vader and Stormtroopers also joined the celebration, while members of the Miller Children’s & Women’s care team traded their usual work attire for costumes, dressing as the “101 Dalmatians” and other Halloween favorites and turning familiar hospital faces into part of the festivities.
“We want our patients to walk into the room and forget, even for a little while, that they’re in a hospital,” said Rita Goshert, director, Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “It’s a chance for them to step away from appointments and treatments, put on their costumes and simply enjoy Halloween like any other kid. Those moments of normalcy are so important for our patients and their families.”
For families who return year after year, the event has become its own Halloween tradition.
“This is our third year coming, and it’s something we look forward to every Halloween,” said Sabrina Wong, Pepper’s mother. “Pepper loves getting dressed up. This year she’s our little black cat. We get to trick-or-treat and see all the people who take care of Pepper in a completely different way, outside of appointments and everything that comes with being at the hospital. It makes the day really special.”
The Long Beach Fire Department’s longtime support helps Miller Children’s & Women’s bring celebrations like Halloween directly to hospitalized children. This event, along with many others, is part of the Long Beach Fire Department’s Kids Program, which helps hospitalized children participate in holiday festivities while receiving medical care. Experiences like these give patients and families opportunities to step away from the routines of treatment and enjoy traditions they might otherwise miss.
“Every child deserves to have those special Halloween memories, even when they have to spend the holiday in the hospital,” added Rita Goshert. “We want them to enjoy the same Halloween traditions they would at home, surrounded by costumes, candy, characters and people who care about them.”
Events like these are organized by the Child Life Program at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, which works year-round to make the hospital experience brighter and more inclusive for children and their families through developmental, educational, and emotional support.
