Children in long-term hospital stays deserve more than medical care. Bright Stays brings consistent enrichment, companionship, and academic support so they can keep growing — even in the hardest moments.
"Bright Stays brings consistent enrichment, companionship, and academic support to children during long-term hospital stays — so they can continue to grow, learn, and feel like kids, even in the hardest moments."
When a child is admitted to a hospital for weeks or months, they don't just face a medical battle. They fall behind in school, lose touch with friends, and spend long stretches of time bored, isolated, and afraid — with very little to distract or comfort them between procedures.
Hospital Child Life specialists do incredible work, but demand far outpaces available staff. That gap is where Bright Stays lives.
Read MoreEvery program is designed to complement — not replace — the work of hospital Child Life departments.
Trained college volunteers provide consistent, recurring visits — games, art, reading, and real human connection.
Hospital-safe boxes of crafts, puzzles, and books, curated by age and delivered to long-term patients.
Volunteer tutors help kids keep pace with schoolwork so they return to class ready — not months behind.
Zoom-based activities for immunocompromised patients: storytelling, art classes, and one-on-one hangouts.
Bright Stays was founded by Gabriella Galli Dias, a student at Babson College in Boston with a deep interest in healthcare and community service. Frustrated that no existing organization was providing consistent human enrichment for long-term pediatric patients, she set out to build one — grounded in rigorous operations, genuine care, and the entrepreneurial values of Babson.
We are currently in our founding phase, actively partnering with Boston Children's Hospital and building our pilot program for launch in 2026.
Join the Founding Team