StoryCorps and Intermountain Healthcare partner to share conversations of hope and healing.
Cindy Henry reminisces with her 91-year-old father, Jim Greer, about how his singing to her as a child added joy and peace to her life. As an imaging tech at Bear River Valley Hospital in Tremonton, Utah, Cindy now sings to young patients to help calm their fears.
Jim Greer: When you were little, I sang a lot of songs to you.
Cindy Henry: I know. You loved to sing to us. Why did you like singing to kids, dad?
Jim: Well I liked to sing to begin with. That's probably the reason; it's satisfying me. But I really think that it comforts a child, the real little ones. I think it comforts them to just hear a voice and something kind of melodious. And of course, there are some other songs that we used to sing back then. When you kids would come in with a scratched-up knee because you fell down or something like that, a song was always something that kind of ...
Cindy: Kind of helped us feel a little better about ...
Jim: Yeah, you feel better about life.
Cindy: I do remember though having asthma so bad as a kid and there were nights where I just couldn't get to sleep because I couldn't breathe, and you'd come in and you'd sit by the bed and you'd sing. And it really made a difference for me; it calmed me down and helped me to at least relax enough so I could breathe.
Jim: Yeah.
Cindy: I've also helped by singing while I work at the hospital and take care of kids. Even today, I'll sing to them. Going back into X-ray, we keep the rooms dark because we need to be able to see where the lights are to take an X-ray. And there's just this great big machine in there and it's darker. If you're a little person, you're like what's going to happen in here? And we've had little kids in lab that ... They're scared, and they have to get their blood drawn. Now that's ... I think that's scarier than getting an X-ray, and I will go into the lab and help hold a child, and then I will start singing to that child to just help calm them, because I do know it has helped.
One thing I have learned is that sometimes I'll ask the kids, "Do you have favorite songs? Do you want to listen to music?" I had one cute little boy who came in for a CT scan, and he was scared and wasn't sure what I was going to be doing. And he said, "I like superheroes." And I said, "Do you have a favorite?" And he said, "I like Spider-Man." And I'm like, well, "We can sing Spider-Man." And so I sang him "Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Does whatever a spider can. Spins a web any size. Catches thieves just like flies. Look out, here comes the Spider-Man." Now again, I always apologize to the kids. I'm like, "I'm sorry." But they are actually happy to sing. They just need to feel it's okay. When you would sing to us as kids, I learned how important music was. And with my kids, they've taught me a lot.
One of the songs you loved singing was You Are My Sunshine. Do you know, as a kid, I thought that meant sun like S-O-N. And so I even called my boy, who was sunshine, S-O-N. Not S-U-N. And I sang that song to them. You know that one.
Jim: Oh yeah. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.
Cindy: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.
I love you daddy.
Jim: I feel the same way.
Cindy Henry: I know. You loved to sing to us. Why did you like singing to kids, dad?
Jim: Well I liked to sing to begin with. That's probably the reason; it's satisfying me. But I really think that it comforts a child, the real little ones. I think it comforts them to just hear a voice and something kind of melodious. And of course, there are some other songs that we used to sing back then. When you kids would come in with a scratched-up knee because you fell down or something like that, a song was always something that kind of ...
Cindy: Kind of helped us feel a little better about ...
Jim: Yeah, you feel better about life.
Cindy: I do remember though having asthma so bad as a kid and there were nights where I just couldn't get to sleep because I couldn't breathe, and you'd come in and you'd sit by the bed and you'd sing. And it really made a difference for me; it calmed me down and helped me to at least relax enough so I could breathe.
Jim: Yeah.
Cindy: I've also helped by singing while I work at the hospital and take care of kids. Even today, I'll sing to them. Going back into X-ray, we keep the rooms dark because we need to be able to see where the lights are to take an X-ray. And there's just this great big machine in there and it's darker. If you're a little person, you're like what's going to happen in here? And we've had little kids in lab that ... They're scared, and they have to get their blood drawn. Now that's ... I think that's scarier than getting an X-ray, and I will go into the lab and help hold a child, and then I will start singing to that child to just help calm them, because I do know it has helped.
One thing I have learned is that sometimes I'll ask the kids, "Do you have favorite songs? Do you want to listen to music?" I had one cute little boy who came in for a CT scan, and he was scared and wasn't sure what I was going to be doing. And he said, "I like superheroes." And I said, "Do you have a favorite?" And he said, "I like Spider-Man." And I'm like, well, "We can sing Spider-Man." And so I sang him "Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Does whatever a spider can. Spins a web any size. Catches thieves just like flies. Look out, here comes the Spider-Man." Now again, I always apologize to the kids. I'm like, "I'm sorry." But they are actually happy to sing. They just need to feel it's okay. When you would sing to us as kids, I learned how important music was. And with my kids, they've taught me a lot.
One of the songs you loved singing was You Are My Sunshine. Do you know, as a kid, I thought that meant sun like S-O-N. And so I even called my boy, who was sunshine, S-O-N. Not S-U-N. And I sang that song to them. You know that one.
Jim: Oh yeah. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.
Cindy: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.
I love you daddy.
Jim: I feel the same way.