Have you ever wondered what your care providers do when they aren’t taking care of you?
Well, Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital hosted its first-ever staff talent show—and it turns out that your nurse or doctor could be a rockstar on the electric guitar, or even a ballroom dancer who can strut a mean tango.
Child Life music therapist Bridget Sova and Child Life specialist Jay Kolk kicked off the evening with a duet, singing “Sons and Daughters” by Allman Brown and Liz Lawrence and “Fix You” by Coldplay.
Seventh-floor nurse Laura Kamper and her ballroom dance partner, Byron Doss, then picked the evening up with the quickstep, waltz and tango. Seventh-floor nurse Anna Odren sang “For the First Time in Forever” by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel from the Walt Disney movie “Frozen.”
Resident physician Jordan Whatley played the guitar and sang “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly and “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay.
The evening ended with the band the Big Owie, started a few years ago by David Dickens, MD, and Ulrich Duffner, MD. They rocked out the evening and even had a surprise guest appearance by Naomi Wilke, an 8-year-old Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital patient who battled two forms of leukemia and is currently in remission.
Naomi helped with vocals and even played a short solo on the trumpet. The evening ended with a standing ovation.
Dave. You just continue to be full of surprises! Great job. Must have been a blast. Kudos to all the hidden talents! Here’s to the folks that took the chance to shine in the most wonderful ways. Good for the soul.
Big Owie, funny. I remember seeing them at a private event back when they were still searching for a name, they rocked it.
So interesting to see what the staff does “on their own time”.
This is heartwarming to infinity and beyond. Kudos to all who participated to make such a great event a shining moment in a child’s life. My hat’s off to all of you.
Wow, what a nice comment, Becky! Thank you!
Awesome! Special shout out to the drummer!!
Those Docs rock! They give it all to cure their patients – then put on a concert and a dance show.
What to go, Super Docs!
You guys are awesome! Such a great thing for the patients and hospital work family. Greatly Appreciated God Bless!