We know that music can be therapeutic, especially when a song is personalized. I am excited to kick off celebrating child life month with our featured post on The Songs of Love Foundation.
The Songs of Love Foundation is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates uplifting, personalized songs for children and teens struggling with a life-threatening illness or lifetime disability, free of charge. Each CD is professionally produced with lyrics containing the child’s name and references to all of his or her favorite activities, things, people, and pets. Songs are written and performed in the musical style that the child likes best (pop, r&b, rap, rock, alternative, etc.), by a variety of talented professionals. The organization is named after a song called “Songs of Love” that Julio Beltzer (Songs of Love founder John Beltzer’s twin brother) wrote just 2 months before he passed away on April 12, 1984.
As each child is unique, so is every “song of love” composition. Since 1996 the Songs of Love Foundation has reached out to over 27,000 children in over 500 hospitals and health care facilities in all 50 states. The songs have often been played to alleviate pain and trauma during painful and scary hospital treatments. The song recipients have played their “songs of love” in all kinds of situations and settings such as car trips to the hospital, show and tell at school, for family and friends in person or on the phone, and even for the doctors and nurses.
Siri Bream, a certified Child Life Specialist from the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, VA, states, “Songs of Love is such an invaluable gift for our children and families that counteracts and comforts any of the fear, anger or grief that an illness or injury brings. The healing power of music is huge, but the power of feeling validated, of being honored, of being important enough to have a song that is entirely all about YOU, gives our patients a sense of belonging in this world, a sense of hope, a renewed purpose and determination to LIVE”.
To request a song for a child, click here. Be sure to learn more about this amazing program at SongsOfLove.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
We will be giving away a Songs of Love t-shirt to one lucky winner! Choose one or more ways to enter:
1. Sign up for email notifications at ChildLifeMommy.com and leave a comment below.
2. Facebook: Follow Child Life Mommy, leave a comment and tag a friend on the post.
3. Facebook: Follow Songs of Love, leave a comment about the #ChildLifeGiveaway.
4. Twitter: Follow, Like and RT the post to @ChildLifeMommy and @SongsofLove.
5. Instagram: Follow @ChildLifeMommy, Like and Tag a friend in the post.
Good Luck! Winner will be chosen 3/4/17
