Music therapy helps patients at Bristol Children's Hospital
The sessions run six days a week.
Last updated 5th Oct 2024
Patients at Bristol Children's Hospital are expressing their feelings through music therapy.
The therapy runs six days a week thanks to funding from the hospital charity 'The Grand Appeal'
Started in 1995 the The charity strives to put Bristol Children's Hospital at the centre of change - creating pioneering facilities and ensuring the hospital remains at the forefront of children’s healthcare, saving lives into the next decade and beyond.
Music therapy is just one of the amazing services they offer.
Helen Bromley from the charity said:
"Music therapy is one of the things we really love to support and fund. At the hospital. We've got two amazing specialist music therapists, Claire and Holly, and they run sessions six days a week in the hospital for us.
Music therapy sessions usually take place at a child or babies bedside and provide Physical, psychological and emotional support for those young people."
She also told us how it helps parents:
"Parents love to see their children's reactions, so a lot of the benefits of music therapy is it can create a connection with the child. They see through music, their children working towards the goals that they need to achieve whilst they're in hospital."
Preston who has been in hospital since he was born was diagnosis with Moebius Syndrome, which means a range of issues that will affect his life. His face is paralysed, he can’t move his eyes side-to-side, he has hearing loss, only one working vocal cord and a narrowed airway which affects his breathing. He doesn’t swallow properly, so he has to be fed by a tube.
Paige, his mum, shared how music therapy was the first thing he engaged with:
"It showed us he could hear, which was a massive thing as his hearing test was delayed, When he has music therapy his heart rate would slow down to a more normal rate and he has just come on leaps and bounds with it."
"Claire can always ready him really quickly whether he just wants a nice chilled out session or if he wants a fun upbeat session. They're just so in tune with each other and it's just incredible."
You can ready more on the charity and Preston's story here.