Afgelopen weekend onderbrak Florence Welch van Florence and the Machine kort haar Amerikaanse tour voor een bezoek aan een jonge fan in een hospice. In Austin ging ze langs bij het hospice Christopher House waar een fan ligt die eigenlijk tickets had voor het concert die avond maar te ziek was om te gaan. Welch nam plaats aan de rand van haar bed en zong voor haar _Dog Days Are Over_ en _Shake it Out_. Of je nou fan bent of niet, de video die ervan op de het web is verschenen is vrij ontroerend.

From Hospice Austin nurse Lev Baesh describing Florence Welch's visit: I spend half of my days exhausted after working the other half as a hospice nurse. Today, I dragged myself back to Hospice Austin's Christopher House after three 12-hour shifts, to witness a gift.

True, everyday I have the opportunity to care for another human being, with the great staff I am lucky to be a part of, is a gift. Today, however, the gift was witnessing the clear joy of a room full of teenagers singing with Florence + The Machine. She and her guitarist Robert Ackroyd came to give a private concert to a young woman who missed her concert last night due to her illness. The room was full; full of joy and warmth and love and life and singing. 

The best part was joining my colleagues to get a chance to weep in the presence of this gift. Weeping, all too often, takes a back seat to the act of caregiving we offer.

Thank you to Florence and your people.

Thank you to the teenagers who filled that room with life for yet another day.
And thank you to my coworkers who get it, and give it, and live it, every day we do this work.

Hospice Austin is a nonprofit organization. If you would like to assist us in helping families make the most of every moment, please click here: http://bit.ly/1s5xnnr

Florence + The Machine sings with Hospice Austin teen

From Hospice Austin's Christopher House Nurse Practitioner Christie Kremer: I have been awash in teenagers these last few weeks. It seems like every patient I have is far too young with kids who are taking the same AP tests my kid is taking. My heart has been hurting thinking about how a 17-year-old could complete a Physics test as her father lay dying. Or trying to plan a slumber party for a 16th birthday and hoping it isn't the day her mom dies. A 15-year old, so mature, holding her mom's hand and asking how many milligrams we've gone up on the dose; another 15-year-old wise beyond her years as we sit in family conference talking about tube feedings.

And sometimes we have patients who are teens themselves. We have a patient who held long cherished tickets to see Florence and The Machine last night with her BFF. All week through set back after set back she asked if she would be able to go. We tried to entertain the idea and it felt so scary and overwhelming for the medical staff and her mother that finally I said no, and my heart broke again.

And then, through a remarkable team effort on the part of Hospice Austin's Christopher House and Hospice Austin staff, we were able to make contact with Florence. My patient's mom was so nervous -- will she really come? Is she here yet? She kept popping out of the room and checking. And Florence came. And her mom burst into tears of joy at the sight of her and Florence gave her a big hug. Florence walked around the corner to the patient's room -- stuffed to the gills with teen friends -- and there were shrieks and squeals and so much joyous music and singing and tears and tears and tears of grief and joy and hope and love and utter devastation and somehow simple kindness made everything better. 

Many thanks to my wonderful colleagues who made this happen and to Florence + The Machine for giving an amazing gift of kindness.

Hospice Austin is a nonprofit organization. If you would like to assist us in helping families make the most of every moment, please click here: http://bit.ly/1s5xnnr

Florence & the Machine sing for Hospice Austin teen

noisey

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Muziek

Het meisje had een kaartje voor het concert die avond, maar was te ziek om te gaan. 

FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Florence Welch verrast fan in een hospice met een privé-optreden

FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Florence Welch verrast fan in een hospice met een privé-optreden

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