Living Their Cosmic Dreams at the Stanford Children’s Prom

Anticipation filled the air in Ren Vargas’s hospital room. Makeup palettes lined the medical table, and a purple wig hung in the corner of the room. Ren was getting ready for the Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Cosmic Dreams Prom at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

“I am really excited because I’ve always wanted to go to prom,” the 13-year-old said. “I don’t know why, but it’s always something I wanted to do.”

Ren has been hospitalized for the last 283 days following their stem cell transplant. When their mom, Amanda, heard about the Stanford Children’s prom she wasn’t sure if Ren would want to go. But Ren thought it sounded fun, especially the galaxy theme.

“For the past couple of years, there hasn’t been a lot to look forward to,” Amanda said. “It’s so cool to see Ren excited about something.”

The Child Life and Creative Arts team, along with hospital staff and volunteers, transformed the hospital’s Dunlevie Garden and Harvest Café into outer space, so tweens and teens like Ren can experience a high school tradition despite being hospitalized. This year, the Princess Project organization donated evening dresses to ensure all young patients can make memories that will last a lifetime.

For some patients, like Anayeli Barajas, it’s a chance for her to reconnect with her friends from Packard Children’s, but also a time to celebrate a milestone.

“Last year’s prom was the last day of her inpatient chemo, so it was a good send-off,” said Margarita Barajas, Anayeli’s mom.

Patients showed up in their very best, donning gowns and handsome suits to show off their moves on the dance floor. The star-studded night featured fun games with prizes, a custom jewelry bar, portrait artists, and a special performance from the Bay Area dance group, Str8jacket. Patients and their guests were able to record their night with a stop at the photo booth to commemorate the special night.

Events like prom help children have a sense of normalcy while undergoing medical treatment. This can have a positive effect on their outlook and provide a welcome distraction as they celebrate rites of passage.

The ‘Cosmic Dreams’ prom was made possible by the contributions of generous volunteers and donors, including the Ambassadors for LPCH, Roth Auxiliary, Higher Calling Concessions, Kendra Scott, Dippin’ Dots, and Slime Kitchen.

Ren Vargas dancing with Child Life specialists