Sam's Fans' partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital consists of funding an outpatient music therapist who works in Hospice and Palliative Care. This is a unique position that is not seen often in other hospitals. NCH was able to start this work thanks to funding coming from Sam's Fans!
Jessica Bogacik, MS, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist and works on Nationwide Childrens Hospital’s home-based hospice and palliative care team. Jessica received her Master of Science in Music Therapy from Radford University, under the supervision of Jim Borling MM, MT-BC.
Jessica completed her clinical internship at Cleveland's University Hospitals Case Medical Center with Dr. Deforia Lane, PhD, MT-BC. She has participated in research using music therapy interventions with critically ill patients, and with hospitalized patients demonstrating depressive symptoms.
Jessica’s experience as a music therapist is varied, including work with the elderly, medically and psychiatrically hospitalized adults, children with disabilities, and individuals receiving hospice care. Jessica has worked at Nationwide Childrens Hospital since August 2015.
Learn more about our partnership with NCH
I recently met a new patient and his mom. During this visit, the medical team was present to tell mom that the patient’s symptoms were looking like end of life was approaching faster than previously expected.
The visit was sad, and heavy.
The patient, due to his disease progression, was not able to interact with us. Though his eyes were open, he wasn’t able to make eye contact, move his muscles, or talk to us.
I started playing some of the patient’s favorite music, and I noticed that his eyes immediately widened – the first sign that he was listening and reacting. Playing music prompted mom to do some reminiscing.
She talked about the patient always listening to the same song in the shower. This patient loved to dance, and she imitated the way she always imagined him dancing in the shower when he listened to this song. Everyone present was smiling and laughing as she shared this story.
And then, the most amazing thing happened: the patient smiled!
He showed us that he was listening, and enjoying our conversation. Even though it was very hard for him to interact. It was evident that the power of music and his connection with his mom moved him to show us he was still there.
With telehealth music therapy as an option now through Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I’m finally able to see all of my patients, even if it’s not the way I’m used to being able to see them. Telehealth has been an amazing tool to be able to use, thanks to the brilliant minds who put it together so quickly. It has not come without challenges, though, including difficulty providing therapeutic interventions as effectively as normal. But mostly, the change has been hugely positive, and I want to tell you a little bit about my telehealth experience in this report.
On April 20, I had my very first telehealth video visits with some of the patients that had been anxiously awaiting the ability to resume visits in some manner. Using a secure version of Zoom, patients and their families were able to log into virtual visits through MyChart. Those first few visits were very exciting, because it had been a long month or so since I had been able to be in patients’ homes!
I wanted to spend a little time telling you about how I’m using my time to serve my patients while I’m not allowed to visit them. Many of the families that I work with have expressed concern about how they will fill their child’s time and enrich their lives during this time. Since this is such a prevalent concern, I’ve decided to create individualized at-home music plans for some of my patients.
What does this mean? I am taking all the information that I know about these patients and families and making lists of music-based activities that they can try to do at home while I am away! I’ve started to compile playlists customized for my patients’ preferences, needs, and strengths. With each song, I’ve suggested a music-based activity that they can do. Again, the activities are customized to the patient’s age, abilities, and preferences.
Sam’s Fans funds a music therapy position for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital’ (NCH) Hospice and Palliative Care team. Jessica Bogacik, the music therapist at NCH, demonstrates the power of music therapy in palliative care in four videos we released recently. Perhaps we can illustrate best how music therapy helps in this context through the four stories of Ben, Alex, Natasha, and Vanora.
A toddler patient who I originally visited by myself was always difficult to engage in music therapy interventions. She had to move her body constantly around the room and had significant difficulty focusing on the interventions I had brought to her. I was not seeing her making eye contact with me, visually tracking instruments, reaching out, or interacting with the music in any other way. The massage therapist often had a similar experience, describing having to walk around the house massaging the patient. When we began to co-treat, it quickly became evident that the combination of different sensory input helped the patient’s body to relax and remain in one place. She would rest her head in the massage therapist’s lap, reach out for instruments, smile, and become very calm. Combining our interventions helped us both do our jobs, and it helped the patient gain more benefit from our visits.
Kiyana is a 9 year old who has a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which impacts the use of her voluntary muscles. Kiyana was born with Type 1 SMA, which is the most severe form of the disease. She is dependent on a tracheostomy and a ventilator to help her breathe, as well as a feeding tube to help her maintain her growth and nutrition. Kiyana has very little use of any of the muscles in her body, including her head/neck, arms/hands, legs/feet. Kiyana is dependent on a wheelchair, and requires total care 24 hours per day.
But, this description of Kiyana’s disease doesn’t come anywhere near giving a full picture of her. Kiyana is a bright, happy, and smart young lady. Her friendship is given generously, and her personality shines so brightly through her challenges. She has impeccable musical and comedic timing, and she is very curious. She also knows what she wants, and knows how to ask for it.
This is what you support
Families Served
100+
Visits
500+