There’s Lily Lymphoma, and there’s “Lousy” Louie Leukemia. And who can forget Terry “The Terrible” Tumor.
As of July, these “Michael’s Meanies” characters have reached 414 medical facilities in 21 countries to comfort children battling cancer. That is because of Michael Carroll, a young man who lost his battle against cancer on July 3, 2014, created them after witnessing the struggles so many children were having during their treatments.
The “Meanies” are one of thousands of reasons why his parents, Paul and Linda Carroll, honor him each Christmas season with the “Carroll Lights” on Wheeling Island. The show, situated at the end of South Wabash Street, features thousands of lights, and it is completed with two-and-half-hours of synchronized music that is broadcast on 88.3 FM.
And yes, the display was Michael’s creation, too.
“I don’t do this because I’m trying to get donations. That’s not the point of the show. It is in my son’s memory because this was all his idea,” Carroll said. “We’re not trying to get publicity either. I just want people to enjoy the show and get into that Christmas spirit. It’s been a tough year for all of us, and that’s why the show was really important this year. It’s safe, it’s beautiful, and it’s all about this time of year.
“It was in December 2006 when Michael came up with the idea. He was pretty sick at the time, and he couldn’t risk even the common cold, and that is why we were all isolated at the time,” he recalled. “Michael was spending a lot of time on the Internet and he came across a synchronized light show. He called me over to the computer and had we watch the video. That’s when he looked up at me and said, ‘You can do this, right?’ I told him yes even though I had no clue how to make it happen.”
From Scratch
Paul had made a promise to his son, and he was determined to make good on it. He scoured the Internet for information, and he spoke with friends, coworkers, and relatives in an effort to gain an understanding.
It was, after all, much more than just stringing some sparkling lights along the porch railing.
“After I found some information on the Internet, I started trying to put some things together in January 2007, but it never worked. I kept trying, but I just couldn’t get it to work,” Carroll explained. “But then I found another company with a similar system, and they sent this kit, and I put it together, and thankfully it worked that time. That was in November 2007.
“That’s when I started working on the programming for the music,” he said. ”I really enjoyed how it was working, so I kept going, and by the end of the month, I had Michael’s show for that first year. We had always decorated our house with a lot of lights, but then my wife asked me what I had been working on. I took her outside after Michael had gone to bed, and I showed her. She called us the Griswolds, but there was a difference, and she recognized that it was all for Michael.”
These days? Bigger and better than even before.
“It has grown over the years, especially since we lost Michael,” Carroll said. “I do tweak it every year because I want it to be a presentation, and if makes people remember our son, then that’s all that matters to us. I’ve done all the interviews, but I would always include Michael when he was still with us. It was his idea and his show, and it’s still his show.
“That’s why this year’s show is dedicated to Michael, and it will always be dedicated to him. Some people think it should be more perky, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about my child,” he said. “That’s why I will never change the recipe of the show. I will add songs, but it’s always with him in mind.”
Listen to the Lights
There are the classics everyone knows the words to, and there are different genres, so everyone who visits can find something to their taste. Anyone who wishes to review the Carroll Lights playlist can visit this website.
“I think I am the only person in this area that puts the list out there so people can see when their best time would be to come see the show,” Carroll explained. “Some people have told me that I put too much time working on the synchronization, but I just really want folks to be able to see what they want to see based on the music. That’s what really makes it special, in my opinion.
“The playlist includes two-and-half hours of music, and there’s a little bit of everything. From the Christmas classics to country, I think everyone is able to find something they’re going to enjoy,” he explained. “The genres of music are grouped together, too, because I really do want to make everyone happy.”
This year’s show, because of the coronavirus pandemic, has been more important to the Carroll family since the first year because of the lack of holiday related activities offered within the region.
“When Covid hit about nine months ago, I realized that the only thing people were going to be able to do and be safe is to be in their cars in a dry atmosphere and enjoy something,” Carroll said. “That’s when I decided that I was going to go above and beyond this year. Honestly, that’s what I have done with my free time all year long.
“So, I was determined to make it a stronger show this year, and so far, people seem to really like it,” he said. “This is our 14th season doing this, and the crowds have been great. Of course, I don’t want to have a thousand people in their cars outside of the house, but it is pretty cool to see that people have picked up some pizza and they are enjoying the show. That’s why I put a playlist out to the public so they know when their favorite songs will be broadcast.”
