Music is the universal language and one hospital transporter uses it to great effect
Some people say that music is one of the world’s few universal languages. Because even if you don’t know the lyrics or the words, you can understand the warm comforting feeling of a softly played melody.
That’s why one talented singer in Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is so well-beloved.
He grew up with a love of song and brought it to…
The singer may be known as a bedside manner angel in BDMC, but his real name is Lindon Beckford. Lindon is a patient transporter working with the hospital whose talent was discovered by complete accident.
He relates the story in an interview with YouTube channel, STAT.
“I was always singing at work. I was always singing as a child growing up, so it was just a natural thing. It was more for a comforting thing…”
This background in singing prompted him to sing during his shifts at work. He didn’t think of it as anything more than another way to pass the hours by at work. But what he found was an appreciative audience in patients.
It started just for him, but became so much more
Lindon’s singing caught the attention of patients who would stop what they were doing to listen to him. When Lindon noticed, it took him by surprise. He wasn’t sure if he was causing anyone any problems, until he noticed the warmth and appreciation in the eyes of the other patients. It was a truly humbling and emotional experience.
He realized, that whether he was taking his patients to or from the operating room, he could do so much to help.
What inspires his songs of choice?
In the over 30 years Lindon has been with BDMC, he has learned to hone his ability to calm patients. It helped keep them focused on healing and trustful of the doctors, especially during lifesaving procedures. So he took that compassion and consideration with him as he developed his musical art.
Lindon described his process by saying:
“Depending on the conversation that I hear… is the patient in pain? What song can I sing to relieve them. At the end when I get them to their procedure or back to their room they will tell me, ‘you know, you make this trip from here to there so much easier because of your singing’.”
One giant leap for patient care
If you’ve ever been to a hospital for a procedure, whether yours or a family member, you know that doctors and nurses are sometimes hands-off. They may offer a word of encouragement here and there, but sometimes that isn’t enough. So Lindon goes one step further.
So what Lindon is doing goes beyond the expected call of duty to offer some real meaningful peace and comfort. This may seem like a small gesture, until you see the faces and hear the words of those patients he sings with.
It’s not an easy job but…
Hospitals are stressful places for the sick and injured as well as their families. It’s easy to get frustrated, especially if the situation seems too slow to get better. But for those patients Lindon encounters in Boston, their procedures become so much easier, thanks to a little song and kindness.
You can see more by checking out the video below.
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