Parents, kids play their way to a stellar show at Tata hospital

It was a musical morning on Sunday at the Tata Memorial Hospital, with 40 children, along with 20 parents and 50 volunteers, putting up a cracker of a show in a dance and music extravaganza. And they were cheered on by 700 other children, their parents, the doctors, hospital staff and social workers.

Since 2008, the hospital's paediatric oncology department has been a notch above the rest of the hospitals in city as far as providing holistic cancer care to children is concerned. Over the past three months, the department had taken it upon itself to teach their young patients musical instruments as part of the preparation for their annual programme Hope.

One of the performers, 17-year-old Zenith Rehman, who hails from Dhaka, Bangladesh, said, “While I sung, my father played the harmonium at the event. I want to chase my dream of becoming a professional playback singer.”

Zenith, who has temporarily migrated to India, is undergoing treatment for a tumour in his right leg. His leg was amputated last year after Mumbai doctors suspected that misdiagnosis of cancer in Bangladesh had caused it to spread and infect his entire limb. “He was aiming to be a national-level cricketer, but had to abandon his dream... But his passion for singing sustains,” said his father Mohammed Ajijur Rehman, 39, who used to run a music studio in Dhaka. “I have had to shut shop and follow my son to India for his treatment.”

After all the hardship, the event was a cheering breather for the Rehmans. Apart from the harmonium, the hospital echoed with the systematic beats of bongos and jambes, the lilting strumming of the guitars, as well as classical sounds of the tabla.

“A number of professional music teachers have been working tirelessly to prepare the children. None of them knew how to even hold a guitar or place a bongo on their lap before classes commenced a few months back. What we witnessed on Sunday was a very progressive performance,” said Niranjan Parekh, 70, a senior volunteer associated with the hospital for the past 20 years.

Another father-son duo made waves at the programme. Swastik, 14, was seen jamming with his father Trilochan Guru, 50, on jambe and harmonium. Trilochan quit his job in Orissa High Court to bring his son to the Parel hospital to treat Swastik’s malignant tumour in the jaw. “Even after six hours of chemotherapy and blood transfusion, my son is ever-ready to learn music. As he is coping with his treatment, he keeps himself busy playing the violin, guitar and jambe. I, meanwhile, write songs and accompany him on harmonium,” said Trilochan.

Nearly 300 children come to the hospital daily from across the city, country and world for treatment for solid tumours and blood cancers.

Senior paediatric oncologist Dr Brijesh Arora said, “I have seen children here running out of their chemotherapy sessions and going straight to the music class. They don't let the pain get to them. Besides, playing music releases the 'feel good' hormones which make them happy and cheerful.”

What started as an experiment in arts-based therapy at the department won't be restricted to Sunday's programme, say volunteers.

Sachi Pandya, 28, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, is conducting research on how music and rhythm, dance and movement, painting, drawing and colours can relieve stress in cancer-stricken children. “We have seen miraculous changes in the attitude of children and their parents since we started arts-based therapies,” she said.

“The children are extremely fond of the music class, and so, we have decided to continue it,” said Ameeta Bhatia, a volunteer who played a pivotal role in roping in music teachers and securing an array of instruments for the children to play.

An advertising professional, Jahan Vandrewala, who teaches percussion instruments jambe, cajon and bongo to the children at the hospital, said, “I started off preparing the kids for the concert, but now, I am in this for the long haul, taking classes every week. At the end of the day, the smiles on the faces of these young ones is my greatest gift.”