Photo Credit ( Pixabay )
For her amazing work fusing music and medicine, Sally Spencer, a nurse at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for almost 25 years, was recognized with an Unsung Hero Award.
Sally has worked for decades as a nurse specialising in pediatric leukemia, tending to the most susceptible kids. However, her influence goes well beyond conventional medical treatment.
Sally works as a nurse but also sings with the famed choir Ex Cathedra. She started the Singing Medicine project two decades ago, which employs song to cheer up and heal sick children. Twenty years on, she is still co-leading the effort that provides live singing sessions to pediatric patients, including those in protective isolation.
She was inspired by a lively Symphony Hall choir performance. In an interview with BBC Radio WM, Sally stated, “The kids were giddy, and I thought about the kids I look after at the hospital who miss out on opportunities like this.”
When face-to-face interactions were unfeasible because to the COVID-19 outbreak, Sally and her team made thousands of customized music videos for kids to make sure that the healing power of music could still reach those in need. The project has been greatly aided by Sally’s leadership, who has even led the group through emotionally taxing circumstances like singing while receiving end-of-life care.
Sally extended Singing Medicine beyond pediatric hospitals to assist adults suffering from dementia and stroke, demonstrating the adaptability and restorative power of singing.
