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>> Building Blocks is brought to you by Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. [Music]
>> Sometimes the most difficult moments in life can bring people together in unexpected
ways, and that happens every week at Penn State Hershey Medical Center where young patients
gather to create music. We take you to one jam session, and tonight's Building Blocks
for Healthy Kids.
>> Here we go! Hello, friends, how are you doing today. Hello, friends, we'll sing together
and play.
>> High on the top floor of Penn State Hershey Medical Center, a room fills with music, a
unique band of children holding unusual instruments with happy faces.
>> He loves musical therapy. He couldn't wait to get here today.
>> A room of children like Erin, either sick or with siblings who need treatment, for a
few moments forgetting their troubles and expressing themselves through music.
>> The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
>> When I'm finally able to see that that connection has been made. That's the clinker,
that's what -- it not only lets me know that the child is engaging but it lets me know
that I'm on the right track, and that's what keeps me going.
>> Any child at the hospital can participate in this weekly jam session. But Jan Stouffer
also has private sessions. Music therapy can help achieve wellness goals like relieving
pain, nausea or insomnia through muscle relaxation, lowering blood pressure, increasing oxygen
flow, and even reducing the heart rate.
>> And when some of our children, when it is obvious that they are not going to be cured,
the music therapy is there to help support them through that part of their journey as
well.
>> A journey that finds some harmony here.
>> It just relaxes them. I mean, it's amazing. It's a great distraction.
>> And you can find this story on our web site along with other health-related information
for children at Fox43 dot com. Look for the Building Blocks tab.