At the Red Cross Children's Hospital I work in the burn victim intensive care unit. These kids have been badly burned in accidents, experiencing horrific traumas. These kids spend all day stuck in the hospital with very few visitors. They see the doctors and nurses as agents of pain and suffering, so when musical therapists engage with the kids and the doctors and nurses, the kids see that they are on our side...especially when they laugh and play with us.
I also work at the Brooklyn Chest TB Hospital, the only TB hospital in the Western Cape. Chris prepared me for my experiences here as best as he could, but the first time I walked in Ward B, I felt like there was a 500 lb weight on my chest. I literally felt physically ill when I walked in. The place looks like a compound or prison of some sort, different wards for adults, children, very sick, etc. The rooms are lined with beds and the adult wards have some people that are there, literally waiting to die. It is the most depressing place I have ever been to. The kids I work with there are in two groups: 4-7 years old or so and babies/toddlers.
The whole focus of musical therapy is empowerment. We don't play music for the kids and let them watch, rather we engage with them, bringing all sorts of instruments. Sometime they'll play the guitar (open-tuned) or the tambourine, blocks, or marimba. We work individually and also in small groups, encouraging the kids to lead one another in group. Most of the kids have never had the opportunity to be leaders, so they enjoy this a lot. We also aim to build their confidence through musical expression. With the 4-7 years old group, we also dance around and do (limited) physical activity, though some are so sick they can only watch.
When we work with the babies, we sing and play guitar, and by singing I mean making primitive noises like "goo goo," "ga ga," "la la," "lee lee," etc. and we watch to see what reactions we can get from them. Remember it is all about empowering and engaging. A lot of the kids are orphans and some are HIV positive, so they have abandonment issues. It is important not to get attached to them, pick them up and hold them, because they long for mother figures.
I made this mistake only once in the baby/toddler ward. We are only supposed to pick them up if they are screaming/crying. Otherwise we sit next to them and rub their backs. I picked up this one little boy and I swear, every time I tried to put him down, he would scream and grip me so tightly. Another boy even called me "mommy" once, which is a completely terrifying word when referring to me.
It is tough work and extremely depressing but I also obtain joy when working at these places. It also breaks my heart and sometimes keeps me up at night as I wonder what the kids do when we are not there...
I also work at the Brooklyn Chest TB Hospital, the only TB hospital in the Western Cape. Chris prepared me for my experiences here as best as he could, but the first time I walked in Ward B, I felt like there was a 500 lb weight on my chest. I literally felt physically ill when I walked in. The place looks like a compound or prison of some sort, different wards for adults, children, very sick, etc. The rooms are lined with beds and the adult wards have some people that are there, literally waiting to die. It is the most depressing place I have ever been to. The kids I work with there are in two groups: 4-7 years old or so and babies/toddlers.
The whole focus of musical therapy is empowerment. We don't play music for the kids and let them watch, rather we engage with them, bringing all sorts of instruments. Sometime they'll play the guitar (open-tuned) or the tambourine, blocks, or marimba. We work individually and also in small groups, encouraging the kids to lead one another in group. Most of the kids have never had the opportunity to be leaders, so they enjoy this a lot. We also aim to build their confidence through musical expression. With the 4-7 years old group, we also dance around and do (limited) physical activity, though some are so sick they can only watch.
When we work with the babies, we sing and play guitar, and by singing I mean making primitive noises like "goo goo," "ga ga," "la la," "lee lee," etc. and we watch to see what reactions we can get from them. Remember it is all about empowering and engaging. A lot of the kids are orphans and some are HIV positive, so they have abandonment issues. It is important not to get attached to them, pick them up and hold them, because they long for mother figures.
I made this mistake only once in the baby/toddler ward. We are only supposed to pick them up if they are screaming/crying. Otherwise we sit next to them and rub their backs. I picked up this one little boy and I swear, every time I tried to put him down, he would scream and grip me so tightly. Another boy even called me "mommy" once, which is a completely terrifying word when referring to me.
It is tough work and extremely depressing but I also obtain joy when working at these places. It also breaks my heart and sometimes keeps me up at night as I wonder what the kids do when we are not there...
Hi, Nicki,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kevin Shamel. I accidentally found your blog tonight. You're awesome. I'm going to keep checking in with you. Thank you for being in the world.