Girl in wheelchair with a pink cape, smiling with her arms reaching out, as if to be a bright star

Superhero Bright Light

Family portrait - mom, dad, two brothers and sister

 

Name: Bright Light
Alias: Juliette
Location: Mason, Michigan
Headquarters: Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan
Daily Conqueror of: Everything
Special Power: Making everyone smile
Power-in-process: Growing!

 

Juliette has been a fighter from Day One. Born at 24 weeks, weighing 14.8 ounces, she spent 7 months in Sparrow Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. It was there she started charming everyone she met...and where she became Bright Light, the superhero she is today.

"She can make anybody smile," her dad, Chuck, proudly. "Everyone who comes in contact with her and meets her, she affects them in a positive way."

Battling all the preemie odds, Bright Light has fought her way to kindergarten, where she works to strengthen her mind and her motor skills. She's working on writing her name, she loves to paint, and she's working on propelling herself in her wheelchair.

"She rolls herself in and out of the gym without help to show us how strong and determined she is," Sandy said.

Bright Light's family drew comfort and stength from their secret lair: The Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan.

"We turned to the House to keep our family together and to give our sons a sense of normalcy," Sindy said. "When you have a sick baby, you struggle to function. The House helped us make sure our boys didn't feel abandoned. We wanted life to be as normal as possible."

With her sidekick, Fielder the pitbull, tagging along and brothers Jaysin and Michael cheering her on, Bright Light feels invincible. And she's working on her newest superpower - growing into an even stronger superhero.

"Not many people were born weighing less than a pound," Sindy said. "She's the hardest worker ever. She works hard all the time, every day."

Girl in wheel chair with a pink cape, smiling at the camera