Father Gives Back to Hospital after Helping his Daughter: Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Kicks Off The Holidays With Dazzling Light Show

Watch video from the event here.

Frankie To-Ong knows a thing or two about going all out for the holidays – videos of his elaborate light displays have earned him a large following on social media. The former DJ credits his children as the inspiration for their annual decorations.

“We like to keep it fun, lots of goofy dancing in the driveway for Tik Tok videos that keep them laughing,” To-Ong said.

For the second year in a row, To-Ong and his family brought the show to Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands to ensure patients and their families still enjoy holiday festivities while away from home. The event is also a chance for To-Ong to give thanks to Texas Children’s for the care provided to his daughter, Piper, who was diagnosed with atrial septal defect (ASD) when she was 3-years-old. 

ASD is a congenital heart defect that occurs when there is an abnormal opening in the septum that divides the two upper chambers of the heart that allows blood from either side of the heart to cross into the opposite atrium.

“We were referred to a specialist at Texas Children's for her heart murmur, where we learned she had ASD and would need surgery to correct it,” To-Ong said. “The procedure took place in 2018 and we are so appreciative of the care and support she, as well as our family, received.” Piper is now a happy, healthy 8-year-old and was on deck to help kick off the holiday event.

The 4,250-pixel light show sequenced to Christmas music took nearly six weeks to set up. Thanks to generous donations from Newfield Alumni, The Woodlands Lagree, and Thrivent, patients and staff were supplied with radios to tune into the music and watch from the windows. 

Juanna Brandon, director of Patient Care Services at Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, shared that any chance to ensure patients and their families can still enjoy the festivities, even while away from home, is an important step to providing excellent care.

To-Ong hopes to make the event an annual tradition for his family. “It means so much to us to be able to look up and see their faces light up from the street, and our wish for them is to get well soon and to have a wonderful holiday,” he said.