The role of Music Therapy in one girl’s struggle to fight cancer

I recently read a inspiring article about Hiyam Sabbagh who was diagnosed with cancer two days after her fourth birthday.

What started out as a tumour in her left kidney was found to have spread to other areas in her body. For the past nine months, Hiyam has been fighting the disease with a mix of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, administered at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick.  Staff from the hospital’s Play and Music Therapy Department have worked with Hiyam since November to help prepare her for the procedures and treatment involved.

Matt Ralph is the Music Therapist that works alongside Play therapist Kylie Estreich. Ms. Estreich says “as for how play and music therapy differs from other forms of treatment, the focus of the medical team is on the illness, while her department focuses on the child. We don’t differentiate between their conditions. We look at what they can do and empower them.” Matt speaks to the same idea as well, saying “we try and give [the patients] an opportunity to express themselves and have a bit of fun as well as create things they may not have thought they could do. The one thing you want to see on a daily basis as many times as you can; you want to see kids smiling and expressing themselves, because at some point they’re going to leave the hospital.You want them to leave as strong and positive and enjoying life and looking forward to the future, as much as they can. That’s exactly where music and play steps in.”

Hiyam’s mother Yesmin is in full support of Music Therapy for her daughter. In an interview she said, “the first thing we wanted to do, as soon as we found out, was to be positive. I just want her to know that she is beautiful; to always have confidence.”

Music therapy has the amazing ability to give confidence to children and adults, no matter their diagnosis. As patients engage in the music making process it provokes positive responses due to the familiarity, predicability, and feeling of security associated with it. Music therapy can help with pain and anxiety as well as help the patient express themselves emotionally and process their stay in the hospital.

I love hearing success stories of music therapists working in all fields, including cancer patients. I believe in music therapy and it’s healing powers and know we are making a difference in the world.