"The shared joy of music"

Last year, my father spent a prolonged period at Borders General Hospital receiving post-treatment care for bladder cancer and managing several complications. During his stay, he was moved across various wards, and it was a difficult time for him—both physically and emotionally. His mood was often low, and the days felt long and repetitive.

I visited daily, and one afternoon he called me, unusually animated, saying, “You’ll never believe what happened today!” I braced myself, thinking it might be confusion or delirium, but instead, he told me that someone had come into the ward with a guitar and played music right in the middle of the room. He described how patients joined in, stamping their feet, clapping, and even playing along with instruments—“I had a banana!” he said, which made me laugh and wonder if he was imagining things.

But when I arrived later that day, I saw something I hadn’t seen in a long time—he was smiling. The nurses confirmed it was part of a music therapy pilot taking place in the ward. That session lifted his spirits in a way that no medication or routine could. He made friends with fellow patients through the shared joy of music, and it gave him something to talk about and look forward to.

Even now, he still talks about that day. It was a turning point in his hospital experience, and I wanted to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved—especially Rory, who led the session. Your work made a real difference, not just to my Dad, but to everyone in that ward. Thank you for bringing light into a very difficult time.