The pandemic has left many of us experiencing heightened feelings of anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and isolation — feelings incredibly familiar to Lance and Chloe, whose son, Bo, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when he was just nine months old.

We are thrilled to team up with Gibson, the world’s most iconic guitar brand, to bring the healing power of music to the seriously ill kids and teens served by MyMusicRx^®. 

CCA is committed to continuing service delivery for seriously ill children and their families and supporting the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who care for them, all who are even more deeply impacted during this pandemic. With social distance strategies in place, our team is innovating the ways we deliver Joy remotely. 

The phoenix is a mythological bird that rises from the ashes, symbolizing the ability to overcome darkness and rise to any challenge. It’s a fitting name for our January Hero, 12-year-old Phoenix, who has risen above his circumstances with incredible strength and courage.

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.

 Those are just some of the burning questions that CCA-served kids got to ask their favorite music stars in a brand-new video series that recently premiered on December 2. The series, called “MyMusicRx-clusives” was part of CCA’s #GivingTuesday campaign to raise awareness for MyMusicRx and funds for the Children’s Cancer Association.

For the past eight years, David’s had a friend in his corner to help him through long days in the hospital — his Chemo Pal mentor, Jana. She was matched with David right before his first surgery and has been by his side ever since.

At just three years old, our October Hero Uriah is wise beyond his years and a joy to everyone who meets him. He loves tractors, listening to animal sounds, and exploring the great outdoors with his family.

Maria’s perfect day is spent outside running, playing, and soaking up the sun. But she’s equally happy inside, making people follow silly rules in her favorite board game, Quelf, and reading to her heart’s content. She does a lot more staying inside now, since her Leukemia diagnosis.

Quick-witted Moxie is always ready to make a new friend, whether it’s a kid she met at school, a nurse, or even someone on the street.

From the start, Phoenix was a lesson in finding the bright spots amongst seemingly insurmountable challenges. “On July 1st, 2007, after 36 hours of labor and an eventual urgent C-section, Phoenix came into our lives smiling,” shared his mother, Rebecca.

Each year melodies float down Austin’s streets during SXSW. It’s an event that brings people together through their love of music. The same could be said for MyMusicRx’s annual hospital performances, which fill the hallways and rooms in St. David’s Children’s Hospital and Dell Children’s Medical Center with lively music medicine and fun.

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.

Kira is a bright and thoughtful young lady with a great sense of humor and obvious love for her mother, Sara, father, Chris, and younger brother, Thomas. She also enjoys reading romance books (“not cheesy romance novels”) and has a passion for school. So, when Kira was told she had to stay at the hospital for testing and eventually treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), she was understandably disappointed that she wouldn’t be returning to school.

2019 marks the 7^th year in a row that MyMusicRx, Children’s Cancer Association’s (CCA) flagship program, has facilitated live music medicine performances in Austin, Texas.

In 2018 you invested more in the community than ever before. With your help, Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) provided world-class programs to children and teens in the hospital and explored the future of joy in healthcare. 2018 was the year we decided transforming a moment isn’t enough – we need to transform the entire experience.

This #GivingTuesday, MyMusicRx presented its fifth Bedstock, the annual online music festival where artists perform from bed as a show of solidarity with seriously ill kids and teens spending the holidays from hospital beds. The festival raised nearly $35,000 for MyMusicRx, CCA’s flagship program, which delivers the healing power of music to seriously ill kids and teens.

A special moment at this year’s Bedstock included a performance by 14-year-old Emily. The song, “In My Heart,” was written in honor of Emily’s 10-year-old sister, Holly, who died last March from a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. Emily’s emotional tribute was inspired by the passion for music that Holly carried throughout her short, beautiful life.

Two days after my daughter’s second birthday, I was handed a teddy bear and told by a doctor, “I’m sorry, it looks like Heaven has blood cancer.” I hate that bear.

Bedstock is back and heading into its fifth year! This Giving Tuesday, November 27, be sure to tune in at Bedstock.com for the only online music festival where bands play from bed as a show of solidarity with sick kids spending the holidays in hospital beds.