When Priscilla Islas-McGaughy was five months pregnant with her daughter, Kamari, she learned news that rocked her family’s entire world: Kamari would be born with a rare congenital heart disease, Truncus Arteriosus Type 2, and would require surgery once she was born.

Vice President of Programs at JoyRx, Maura Boyce, recently wrote an article for Healthcare Business Today on the power and importance of music as medicine.

For children who love playing and embarking on adventures, bumps and bruises are common and are often nothing to worry about. A parent can give their child a hug and an ice pack, and most kids are back on their feet ready to play again. However, for the now five-year-old daughter of Madiha, the bump on her finger was life-changing.

When Jaimi first reached out to JoyRx, her request was simple: a song for her four-year-old son, James. Located in Alaska, James wasn’t receiving his treatment at a JoyRx-served healthcare partner facility, but Jaimi heard about JoyRx though an online support group and hoped for a connection through our Digital Live offering.

Is there music played in hospitals? That’s a resounding yes! JoyRx celebrated the St. Patrick’s Day spirit with a concert just for Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas.   

A bright spot of musical talent in the hospitals is non-other than Emily Rico. With her degree in music and passion for working with children and teens, she never fails to bring a little more laughter and happiness to everyone she meets! We sat down with her to gain insight into what motivates her work and why expression through music is so important for children and teens in a hospital setting.

Sol is the perfect name for this two-year-old ray of sunshine. Sol loves petting farm animals, pretending to be a dinosaur, blowing bubbles with her Chemo Pal, Emily, and her rubber boots.

Irving is a cheerful young man who has crammed a whole lot of living into just 12 years. He’s a talented artist and an accomplished musician who plays guitar and accordion. He loves to listen to music, and when he can he loves to play basketball.

Each year the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) recognizes 12 local children and teens for their outstanding heroism in the face of serious illness.

Music has always been a big part of Justus’ life. As a toddler, he loved belting out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on his toy microphone; by age three, he was already starting to sing harmonies.

“He was quite the little ham,” said his dad Jason.

Caitlin joined the MyMusicRx In-Hospital team just over a year ago. Already, she’s made a huge impression on the children and teens CCA serves by bringing music to their bedside. We sat down with Caitlin to ask about some of the various aspects of her job and what brings her joy!

When we say that Joshua has a winning smile, we mean it literally — this cheerful little guy actually won a trophy at his school for having the best smile. His contagious grin lights up his entire face and delights everyone around him, from his family to his teachers, to his medical team.

Like many 12-year-old girls, Zoa has pictures of her favorite band, Panic! At The Disco, plastering her walls. Unlike, many girls, Zoa is also battling Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), pre-leukemia bone marrow failure. When Zoa learned that Panic! At The Disco would be coming to Portland for a concert, she told her parents that more than anything, she wanted to see them live.

Veda is a charming young talent who is truly wise beyond her years. Both compassionate and polite, she’ll greet you with a handshake, a warm smile, and ask how you’re doing today.

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Daskalakis has a contagious smile and a zest for life that is apparent the moment you meet him. He loves riding his dirt bike, running, cheering on the Portland Trail Blazers, and making others laugh.

An experienced MyMusicRx Volunteer, Tim Uecker has played music for kids battling serious medical illnesses for over 15 years. He started volunteering in 2001 when he was working at a local music shop and heard about the MyMusicRx Hallway Harmonics volunteer music program.

In 2014, life threw McKenzie a pretty big curveball. She came down with what seemed to be a simple case of the sniffles — but was actually a rare virus that caused devastating polio-like symptoms. Twelve days later, she was paralyzed from the neck down.

At 18-months-old, Colton started having seizures. What began as a mere eye flutter, eventually escalated into 5-hour long episodes and a medically induced coma.

Marcella Mercado is a courageous young woman who dances circles around her cystic fibrosis — literally. She loves to dance, everything from hip-hop and lyrical to jazz and ballet. Although her disease requires her to take a few extra precautions, she refuses to let it get in the way of her life.

Ask his friends and family to describe Jesse, and one word always comes up: generous. This thoughtful 18-year-old loves to put others before himself, even though he’s the one who’s fighting leukemia.