Girl with leukemia uses music and arts program to help her fight

Primary Children’s hospital offers a music and arts program for kids to help them get through their toughest battles during hospital stays.

This year’s Give-A-Thon supports kids like Sophia who have deeply benefitted from the music and dance therapy program.

Sophia is no stranger to Primary Children’s Hospital. In fact, the fourteen-year-old had her first heart surgery was when she was only three weeks old. Many other surgeries followed and she wore oxygen 100% of the time for the first three years of her life.

Then when Sophia was four, her family got a heart-breaking diagnosis: Sophia had leukemia.

“Chemotherapy was really hard on her,” Nelson Mousques, Sophia’s dad said. “She went septic, that first week infection went to her brain created a couple abscesses on her brain. So it was it was tough.”

So Claudia Mousques, Sophia’s mom, said they decided to have Sophia try music therapy.

“So I say what do we call music therapy, you know, kind of to make her feel a little bit better because she was miserable,” Claudia said.

Sophia loved it!

“The nurse just came to take her temperature and it went down,” Claudia said. “I was like wow, we need this therapy every single day.”

Primary Children’s Hospital music, art and dance therapists work together to create a special experience for each child.

Tawna Halbert is a dance movement specialist that works with kids like Sophia.

“As a dance movement therapist, we’re helping kids process their experience in a very natural way,” Halbert said. “So it’s replacing that like fight or flight with relaxation, and creativity and joy.”

Unfortunately, in May, Sophia was given another blow. The doctors said her leukemia had returned.

Sophia continues to use her music and dance therapy to get through her current treatments. It’s a way she can express herself, help manage her pain, and use creativity to enjoy her time in the hospital.

The Dance, Art and Music Therapy programs are made possible and funded by generous donations from the community. As part of our Give-A-Thon campaign for the hospital you are able to make a difference for kids like Sophia. You can donate now by going to KSLKIDS.com.