COLUMBUS, Ohio — Families with kids in the hospital may find it difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. 


What You Need To Know

  • The "Light up the Lawn, Light up a Life" campaign is a Nationwide Children’s Christmas tradition to bring hope to their patients and raise money for the hospital

  • One of the pediatric families became a hospital donor after they themselves overcame the unimaginable

  • Over the years, the family has raised more than $10,000 for the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon

That’s where the larger-than-life butterflies in front of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus come in, known as the “Light up the Lawn, Light up a Life” campaign. The butterflies light up each time a donation to the hospital is made, putting on a unique light show for the pediatric patients. 

One family became a donor after they themselves overcame the unimaginable.

Alycia Hill said they were at a gathering the night it happened.

“The homeowner was lighting a fire pit,” she said. “He had used an old bottle of hand sanitizer to ignite the fire. When that happened, the bottle and the diameter, it’s called flame jetting. The fumes inside the bottle caught fire, and it shot fire out. Aria just happened to be standing in that direct line of fire, and she was engulfed in flames.”

Alycia’s daughter Aria was 5-years-old at the time, and, according to doctors, she suffered second and third-degree burns on 39% of her body, mostly affecting her hands, legs, chest and face.

“It was terrifying. I mean, it was literally your worst nightmare,” said Alycia Hill.

It’s been four years since Aria spent more than a month at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for treatment, and now her scars are barely noticeable.

“She is a typical 9-year-old girl,” Alycia said. “For the most part, you wouldn’t even know that she is a burn survivor.”

For that, the family is grateful, so much so they became hospital donors themselves, paying it forward, so that others can receive similar care.

“This hospital has done so much,” Alycia said. “I mean, they saved Aria’s life, and we owe them forever.” 

Over the years, the family has raised more than $10,000 for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon, but what truly hits home for them is the impact they make when they contribute toward the hospital’s ‘Light up the Lawn, Light up a Life’ campaign,” which gives hope to other pediatric patients.

After everything Aria’s been through, the 9-year-old wants to give them hope this season.

“Don’t give up because cheer can always come by a little bright light,” Aria said.