Thirty Quintessential JoyRx Music Stories
This article is part of our 30 on 30 series, commemorating 30 years of Children’s Cancer Association in 2025. This month, we’re highlighting 30 stories of impact from JoyRx Music. At Children’s Cancer Association, we know the universal power of music to help hospitalized children feel better. That’s why with JoyRx Music, our trained musicians empower kids to find their joy through curated, child-centered musical experiences that best suit their current emotional state, desired mood, and engagement level.
As our flagship program, JoyRx Music began in 1995, and since that time, we’ve served hundreds of thousands of children through the power of music.
Here are thirty stories about JoyRx Music that highlight the defining qualities of this kid-centered program:
Even before they joined our organization, JoyRx Music Specialists Chrissy and Monica have always loved music. It’s no surprise, then, that they make for excellent music advocates as part of JoyRx Music.
Working together, they’re a force of musical joy, visiting our Austin hospital partners and performing live music for kids. Learn more about what their day-to-day is like serving children and families!
The end of 2024 marked an exciting milestone for JoyRx Music: we expanded services in New York City with the launch of live, bedside music programs.
Read on to learn more about this exciting news about our national expansion.
When asked to describe her five-year-old son, Ford, in just one word, Allison’s answer is immediate: curious.
But after receiving a Leukemia diagnosis at age five, Ford struggled to feel connected and engaged with the world around him. That’s when JoyRx Music stepped in.
For children at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Bilingual Musical Storytime is more than just a chance to listen to music — it’s also an opportunity to learn more about their world.
At birth, Randy was diagnosed with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome and given a 35% chance to live. He spent his first six months in the NICU, dependent on tubes to help him breathe and eat.
In searching for a way to help Randy thrive and nurture the special spark they saw in him, his home health nurse introduced him to JoyRx Music.
As a PMHE survivor, fifteen-year-old Aaron knows the transformative power of music during difficult moments. That’s why he’s dedicated to giving back to kids like him through the gift of song. Learn more about his inspiring story!
JoyRx Music Digital Live brings joy to children nationwide through virtual concerts, special events, or one-on-one interactions via tablet. In one year, they’ve hosted great events and helped deliver joy to hundreds of kids across the country.
What have they been up to? Read on to find out.
At just thirteen years old, Connor is known for his compassion. He loves bonding with others, discovering new places, and meeting new friends.
That heart of gold was on full display this past year. After enduring a debilitating brain bleed, it would have been easy for Connor to focus purely on himself. Instead, Connor turned his care and compassion outward, seeking ways to connect with others.
For JoyRx Music Volunteer Elaina, giving back to the community is a meaningful way to bring joy to others.
At just fifteen years old, Elaina is committed to creating what she calls “a positive domino effect” through her love of music, sharing personalized songs she writes for the children we serve.
November is International Arts in Health month – a time dedicated to promoting and celebrating the important impact that the arts contribute toward health and wellness – and JoyRx Music is getting involved by bringing the healing power of music to pediatric patients at UMass Memorial Medical Center – Children’s Medical Center for their second annual Arts in Health concert celebration.
JoyRx Music On Demand evolved in 2023. Our On Demand music offerings are now available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, on any device, through our kid-directed YouTube channel: JoyRx Kids.
Learn more about this evolution and what it means for the children and families we serve.
Singer-songwriter Amos Lee joined JoyRx Music Specialists to surprise kids at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon.
He treated the kids to a short concert and sing-along. The event left kids singing, dancing, and keeping to the beat with egg shakers.
When Priscilla Islas-McGaughy was five months pregnant with her daughter, Kamari, she learned news that rocked her family’s entire world: Kamari would be born with a rare congenital heart disease, Truncus Arteriosus Type 2, and would require surgery once she was born.
As lovers of music, the hospital could be a scary place for the family. But with the help of JoyRx Music, little Kamari was able to learn to love music just like her parents.
For children who love playing and embarking on adventures, bumps and bruises are common and are often nothing to worry about. A parent can give their child a hug and an ice pack, and most kids are back on their feet, ready to play again.
However, for the now five-year-old daughter of Madiha, the bump on her finger was life-changing. This bump, later diagnosed as histiocytic sarcoma, meant that Madiha’s then 4-year-old daughter had to trade in a playroom for a hospital room.
When Jaimi first reached out to JoyRx, her request was simple: a song for her four-year-old son, James. Located in Alaska, James wasn’t receiving his treatment at a JoyRx-served healthcare partner facility, but Jaimi heard about JoyRx through an online support group and hoped for a connection through our Digital Live offering.
Her request? A song recording for her son. And JoyRx Music Specialist Dylan was eager to provide.
When Rosa’s son, Lian, was born at 36 weeks following a difficult c-section, she and her husband learned that Lian had Down Syndrome. They learned that he had a heart defect. They learned that he would need many surgeries.
Understandably, it’s a lot for a family to hear all at once. But through the support of JoyRx Music, Lian was able to express himself and connect with the world.
At Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, kids received a Joyful treat in the form of live, bedside JoyRx Music.
Grammy-nominated artist SaulPaul performed an hour-long outdoor music set for the children, families, and healthcare workers in attendance — and then brought the music indoors to kids who were unable to venture outside.
At its core, music is medicine — and no one knows that better than our JoyRx Music Specialists. They witness a positive impact on the sick children they serve every day — drawing on the universal power of music to lift and energize spirits.
Our in-person bedside delivery is heavily supported by the JoyRx Music Carts, a lasting symbol of our transformative moments of Joy through melody.
When six-year-old Oliver first started having health problems, his parents, Tyson and Vanessa, believed it was asthma. They could never have suspected the truth.
But through the support of JoyRx Music, their son was able to find some joy even during a trying, scary time in his life.
It was a joyful day as JoyRx Music Specialist Christy arrived at Dell Children’s Comprehensive Care in Austin, Texas, to launch live, in-person music services.
This is the first time JoyRx Music is live in-person within Texas hospital and clinic walls since the pandemic, and excitement was in the air.
“Mom, it feels like there’s a chainsaw running through my leg.”
When 12-year-old Izzy spoke those words in the fall of 2020, her mom Erika realized that her daughter’s recent discomfort was far more than growing pains. What followed would be a difficult journey, but one where Izzy would ultimately find a love of music.
Despite being a charming teenager who loves to crack jokes for his family, Julio, who lives with Trisomy 21, or Down Syndrome, struggled to connect socially with others, an issue that was exacerbated during the pandemic.
He had been working on this with Child Life Specialist Allison Moore at Dell Children’s Hospital for two years before COVID-19 forced Julio into isolation. But that’s where JoyRx Music stepped in.
Tucked among other islands of Micronesia, Kosrae is a remote speck in the middle of the Pacific. Eight-year-old David and his family called this tiny island paradise home — at least, they did until they learned that David had T-cell leukemia in 2018.
From there, a journey was launched to find life-saving care, and along the way, the power of music was discovered.
Kailanie has been through more yucky stuff than most kids her age — 19 surgeries in her first three years of life. But no matter what, she makes the best of everything.
Preferred to be called by her nickname, Unicorn Superhero Warrior Princess, this unstoppable little girl has lateral meningocele syndrome (LMS), a rare disorder that affects the nervous system.
On top of that, Kailanie was also diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) last year.
But even in the face of these hard battles, music makes this brave little girl smile.
Before cancer, Lyla was like any other young girl. She loved puzzles, baking, painting and reading books about her favorite characters.
But the trajectory of her life changed when she became increasingly sick.
With help of JoyRx Music, however, she was able to find her smile.
In this letter from Jack’s father, learn about this young boy’s wonderful life, his dad’s enduring friendship with Children’s Cancer Association, and the difference your support make in the lives of families like theirs.
In 2007, Karen’s life changed dramatically when her granddaughter, Lauren, was diagnosed with T-Cell Leukemia. Karen witnessed firsthand the pain and hardship her granddaughter faced, but there was one thing which helped them all get through it: Music.
Inspired by our mission, Karen took on an extraordinary task.
You might recognize McKenzie as one of our 2016 CCA Heroes, a title which she still embodies today. She’s known as a prankster with the medical team, playing tricks on them and working her sassy charm. She’s also a kind, thoughtful girl, whose positive outlook inspires everyone who meets her.
And when she had the chance to create a musical moment for Bedstock, she was ready to go.
Holly Bruno is passionate about her family and has the uncanny ability to find the good in most of life’s challenges.
It’s a quality that’s come in handy when making the decision to end treatment for a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma, and simply live life to the fullest and love every minute of it.
Learn more about this extraordinary little girl and her lasting impact on JoyRx Music.
Like many 12-year-old girls, Zoa has pictures of her favorite band, Panic! At The Disco, plastering her walls.
Unlike many girls, Zoa is also battling Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), pre-leukemia bone marrow failure.
When she turned thirteen, there was a big surprise waiting for her.
Learn more about Children’s Cancer Association’s thirty years of impact by visiting our anniversary page.