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By Ellen Samek
If you鈥檝e ever wandered the fifth-floor hallway on a Friday afternoon, you鈥檝e probably seen them 鈥� or more likely heard them.
Usually a group of five, wearing purple vests and carrying green binders, the Comfort Choir makes their rounds bringing comfort to patients and staff.
Allison Kabayama is one of the choir鈥檚 founding members along with Susanne Maziarz. They both attend the Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Toronto. The choir started volunteering at Michael 九游体育 (MGH) in April 2012 through former MGH chaplain Gail Fox.
鈥淪inging was my first companion,鈥� says Allison who has been singing for 50 years and has sung both at church and in punk bands.
For Allison, the choir is a way of sharing her gift and love of music with others.
They have a variety of numbers prepared from spiritual hymns and Italian folksongs to Bon Jovi鈥檚 鈥淟iving on a Prayer鈥�.
Patients are in luck if a song they want isn鈥檛 on the list. The choir also takes requests.
鈥淭he most interesting request we鈥檝e ever gotten has to be heavy metal music,鈥� says Allison. 鈥淲e learned the song 鈥楤lack Hole Sun鈥�, and another time someone asked us to sing 鈥榊ou鈥檙e Having My Baby鈥�.鈥�
If a patient requests a song, the choir takes the time to learn the song and return the next week to perform it.
The singers always visit the hospital's Palliative Care and Helen Aird Carswell Complex Continuing Care Units as a part of their rounds. Before heading down the halls, Allison and her fellow singers take a moment to meditate. They quietly warm up their voices by humming the melodies of songs they鈥檝e prepared.
They say the meditating helps them prepare for the tranquil palliative care setting.
When they venture down the hall, Allison will knock gently at each door and enter the room, asking the patient or any family members present if they would like a song. For patients who are not communicative, the choir offers soft spiritual hymns
The choir will gather around the foot of the bed, the beeps and hissing of the equipment forgotten as their voices harmonize 鈥淭his Little Light of Mine鈥�. For another patient who is surrounded by family, they choose 鈥淎mazing Grace鈥�.
鈥淲e take our positions very seriously,鈥� says choir member Shirley Roll.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more of a vocation than people think, to sing for people who are vulnerable and nearing the end of their life. We hope that what we do brings them some sort of comfort, even if they aren鈥檛 always able to communicate with us.鈥�
Allison and Susanne will never forget the day they were asked to sing for a patient who had just passed away.
鈥淚t was a privilege to be able to do that for the family,鈥� says Allison. 鈥淲e sang something for their loved one the week before and they specifically asked for us to come back.鈥�
After difficult moments like these, the choir members try and debrief after their rounds.
With all the somber moments, there are just as many joyful ones.
鈥淲e learned an Italian song for a patient at a family鈥檚 request recently,鈥� says Allison. 鈥淭he patient鈥檚 face just lit up when we sang it.鈥�
When the choir visits units where patients are on the road to recovery, they choose more upbeat songs like fun oldies and The Beatles. Staff and family visitors will stop and enjoy the show, clapping or evening dancing along.
鈥淚 think the fact that I can see the impact and the benefit to the individual is meaningful to me. To see people that are in pain, watch their breathing deepen and see calmness come over them or to see them smile and laugh, it鈥檚 like we鈥檝e eased their pain in some way,鈥� says Allison.
The Comfort Choir meets every week at MGH. If you鈥檙e interested in joining the choir, please contact @email.
Volunteers are an essential part of MGH鈥檚 hospital teams. They play a vital role in helping to improve the patient experience and complement the high standard of patient care provided by hospital staff and physicians. Learn more about volunteering at MGH.