A Magazine from Akron Children's
Akron Children’s launched a TV show – by and for kids – called “More childhood, please.TM” earlier this year on WKYC TV. The maiden endeavor was in the young but very capable hands of its two hosts: 10-year-old Lily Goodwin and 13-year-old Rhys Thomas. Let’s meet them!
Getting the gig to host the show was just the icing on the cake of a wildly successful 2024 for Lily, who is becoming an increasingly famous DJ online and at events around greater Cleveland.
Lily, known professionally as DJ Lily Jade, lives in South Euclid with her mom, Esha; dad, Juan; and younger sister, Lena. During the COVID pandemic, with the family trapped at home, Lily, then 5, started asking her father about all the music equipment in their basement.
According to Juan, there was some “trash talk” between father and daughter about who had the better taste in music – his preference is for ’90s hip-hop and R&B versus Lily’s love of more contemporary artists like SZA and Tyler, The Creator. Soon, they would take their “DJ battles” live on social media – and Lily started collecting fans and followers on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Cleveland’s WOVU 95.9 FM offered Lily her own show in 2021.
As her fame has increased, Lily had the opportunity to interview famous athletes like Kevin Love and Caitlin Clark – and bring her DJ skills to such high-profile events as a Cavs game and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. This year, she will DJ at Severance Hall for the Cleveland Orchestra.
She was recently named one of Cleveland Magazine’s “Most Interesting People” for 2024 and the youngest member of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. She’s the youth ambassador for Cleveland Reads.
Lily joked about her mom and dad being her “momager” and “dadager,” à la Kris Jenner, keeping her busy schedule on track. But they take as much pride in all the “normal” things in her life as well: basketball practice, playing the bassoon, serving on student council at school and being inducted into National Honor Society.
The opportunity to audition for the Akron Children’s TV show hosting job was another good fit. Lily and her sister have long been patients of Julie McClave, MD, a pediatrician at Akron Children’s Pediatrics, Mayfield Heights.
“I think the show will be great for families to sit down together to watch this, be entertained, learn together – and kids will learn by seeing from their peers,” said Esha. “I think it’s a great concept.”
And Juan couldn’t be more proud to see how far Lily has come from age 5 to now hosting her own radio and TV shows and, yes, becoming a more famous DJ than her own dad/mentor.
“I want my daughter to know that she has a voice,” he said. “I’ve told her if you ever feel like something isn’t right, when you crack that mic open, whoever is listening will hear it. But I also want her to know that comes with a responsibility. The opportunity, the responsibility and the way she’s taken it by the horns … my wife and I couldn’t be prouder.”
The holiday season is an especially busy time for Rhys, who began ballet at age 5 and completed his fourth year starring in Canton Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” in 2024. After taking on supporting roles, this past year he had the male lead as Fritz, as well as parts in the Soldiers, Arabian and Russian dances.
It’s a passion project, especially since Rhys travels from his home in Hudson to Canton for his seven weekly classes. “The Nutcracker” rehearsals increase the commitment to six days a week during the performance season, and his training includes five weeks of intensive classes in the summer.
Even with “The Nutcracker” in full swing, Rhys’ mother, Melissa, didn’t hesitate when she saw the hospital was seeking young people to audition for hosts of its new TV show.
“I saw it in Shortsheet [Akron Children’s employee newsletter],” said Melissa, a donor relations specialist for Akron Children’s, “and I thought, ‘This is the perfect thing for him to do.’ Entertaining and performing for people is definitely something he enjoys doing.”
The seventh grade honor roll student at Hudson Middle School is drawn to many activities in the arts, including ceramics, painting and crafting, and has been successfully selling his paintings for several years. He has exhibited his crafts and art at the summer Hudson art fair.
He loves sketching fashions and thinks he may want to pursue fashion design as a career.
“I got a sewing machine for my birthday,” said Rhys. “My mom said she’d teach me how to use it, so, hopefully, I can start making things soon.”
Rhys is also entrepreneurial. In addition to selling his paintings, he runs a babysitting business, albeit mostly in the summer as his school-year schedule is so full with dance. He is also interested in fencing, chess and photography and has trained in all these areas.
Rhys and his family – that also includes dad, Eli, and older brothers, Ethan and Cai – love to take high-adventure vacations. They recently hiked in Colorado, and the whole family made it 14,000 feet up to the summit of Quandary Peak near Breckenridge. Back in Ohio, at less taxing altitudes, Rhys is fond of riding his bike to relax. “In the summer, I really love riding my bike every day,” said Rhys. “It’s a 2-mile bike ride from my house to downtown Hudson, so my cousin and I will bike downtown and get coffee and go shopping.”
As patients of Shaun Whisenant, MD, at Akron Children’s Pediatrics in Hudson, the family likes the idea of extending the hospital brand across WKYC TV’s Northeast Ohio viewership.
Rhys has enjoyed teaming up with Lily, who he describes as “super fun, nice and bubbly.”
Melissa said the two of them really “fed off of each other” when interviewing the pediatric experts for the first episode.
Rhys said the first episode, which focused on screen time and social media use, made him a little more conscious about his own use and wanting to spend more time with family and friends instead of online.
He predicts the show will be a success because it’s hitting the right balance between fun and education.
“There are parts where it’s funny and also parts where it’s sort of educational – not serious but also not super jokey,” he said. “So I think the whole vibe of the show is that both adults and kids will like it and learn something along the way.”
Lights. Camera. Action.
Lily Goodwin and Rhys Thomas are naturals on camera and fully committed to making the TV show a success.
From inspiring stories, to medical miracles, the More childhood, pleaseTM magazine will make you appreciate those precious 6,574 days of childhood.
SubscribeAkron Children's invites you to connect with us.
