Pediatric patients at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital received three new instruments -- two electric guitars and a bass guitar -- Monday to compliment a previously donated drum set, made possible through support from Blue Star Connections, musical therapists at the hospital and renowned blues singer Kat Riggins.
The Hollywood hospital uses a series of therapy programs to assist children from infancy through their teen years. Music therapy is just one such program, aimed at addressing emotional expression and coping, pain and anxiety management, development growth, and patients' overall quality of life.
"Music, really, we use it to support our patients in every way possible," Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital music therapist Juliette Candela said. "We use it in pain management. We use it in bereavement support for families. We also use it to help with distraction during painful procedures, or when babies are very dysregulated in the NICU."
The Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Child Life Zone at the children's hospital features other interactive activities and play spaces. But Candela said the drums have already been a favorite of pediatric patients since they were delivered a couple weeks ago.
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"Patients can get that stimulation, and, also, drums are so good for getting out any anger and frustration," she said. "The kids come up here to get rid of all their experiences in the hospital downstairs. They don't get poked or prodded up here. They have the freedom to play and enjoy their time."
Riggins was at the hospital Monday to take part in the string instrument delivery. She and Candela later met with a pediatric patient, playing "lollipop drums" and singing with the young boy.
"It's not just these three instruments that you see here. There are some bulk instruments that were sent in advance, and that's all because of the donations that there've been and the support that they've been able to get from their community, that they've [Blue Star Connections] been able to grow to do this in hospitals and children's hospitals all over the United States," Riggins said. "It makes me feel so much joy because I know what music can do. I know what music does. So, there are some kids that are going to get some much-needed music therapy and healing just from these instruments."
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Riggins encouraged donations to children's hospitals' music and art therapy programs for those who have the ability to do so. At Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital specifically, the music therapy program runs on donations.
"The most challenging part is probably watching families and patients experience very difficult diagnoses and watching them not feel well and just watching the progression of disease, if it's not a good prognosis. That can be really, really difficult," music therapist Alison Putz said. "But, on the flip side, I'm also there to celebrate all the good moments, and celebrate their last chemo treatment, and when they get discharged from the hospital. So, it's challenging, but it's also very rewarding."
For information on supporting the children's hospital, click here.
