A few weeks ago, my school’s A Capella choir, which I am in, was asked to go and sing at Hospice.

For those who do not know, Hospice is a home providing care for the sick, especially the terminally ill.

Yesterday was the day to sing so we stayed after school so we could all get there together. When we arrived, the workers told us the four locations we would sing at, hallways to the rooms.

The first location

We sang two carols to start off at this location. The room doors were all shut and no one came out except the nurses. When we sang the third song, Fum Fum Fantasy, a crowd of the caretakers and families of the ill gathered around us. Some were recording.

The second location

We started off with a carol for this one as well, one that was a request from a patient, O Holy Night. This patient was one who the school knows. We were not allowed to sing in rooms though, so we stayed in the hallway.

I was standing by a different patient’s room door for this location. Halfway through the song, a caretaker had gone running into her room. When we finished O Holy Night, the caretaker came out and said that the patient wanted him to tell us we sound beautiful. She thought the angels had come to get her. Before the next song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, I glanced into the patient’s room and she was leaning forward as far as she could. She smiled and waved at me; I waved back. We sang another carol afterwards, which I glanced in her room during. She was leaning back on the bed with her eyes closed. I was incredibly worried because the caretaker ran into her room again.

After the carol, we were supposed to move to the third location. The choir decided to sing Masters in this Hall while walking down the long hallway. When we were about to start singing when the patient who’s door that I was in front of came out in a wheelchair with the caretaker pushing her. He pushed it up to me and the patient gave me a hug. She was crying and said, “Thank you for singing.” I hugged her back.

The third location

The third location was similar to the first. We sang Bidi Bom for the first song, no one came out. One patient’s room even shut the door. We sang one carol and White Christmas as well but no one was even in the hallway except the people who sit at the desks. They thanked us for coming.

The fourth location

This location only had two rooms. One’s door was shut, the other’s was open. We were singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree when the other door opened and a little girl stepped out. Her parents and an elder came out as well. Because the little girl was dancing, my choir director said we should sing Fum Fum Fantasy again. Lastly, we sang O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. We were discussing what to sing while we were leaving when a family member of the other patient came out and told us we had a request to sing O Holy Night. We gathered around this patient’s door and sang the first verse of the song. We were sincerly thanked by the family. We sang Angels We Have Heard on High as we were leaving Hospice.

After

As we were leaving myself and some other’s started crying, the choir director too. When we got on the bus, the director told us to listen.

“While you guys were upstairs, I was told that the last patient we sang to was not going to live to see the next day. That family has been through a lot and were looking forward to us coming. They are so incredibly happy you gave that woman the most beautiful last moments. I am so pround of you guys for coming on this trip. I hope you will remember what we experienced her today.”

I silently cried the whole way home.

My family and Hospice

My grandfather was put in Hospice as well, though a different section. I remember visiting him every day and my last moments with him. I remember my sadness, the fact that I couldn’t do anything to help him. He passed away December 16, 2014.

I wish to be able to help hose who need it through music. I want people to hear my music and let their emotions out. 

I will never forget this experience.