This is a story that will make you remember someone you love. I don’t know what it is about stories like this that always makes me remember how fortunate we are for having family and friends that can give us support when we need it the most. It penetrates our deepest memories and moves us in many ways. It also did the same for a news anchor.
You might not see it that way, but they are responsible for delivering some of the most heartbreaking news you and I can hear. They must remain professional and not show any emotion in the most difficult of circumstances. But in the end, they are human like you and me. There are times when they break down, especially when they are delivering a story that hits very close to home.
In this video, you will see a crew of news anchors from WXIA-11 in Atlanta, Georgia. They are covering their daily segment when a story about music therapy for elders living with dementia comes up. This news really gets to one of the newscasters and he breaks down on live TV. When I heard the story, it made me realize just how fragile we are.
This story talks about Rosemary Bowers. She’s a 99-year-old woman at AG Rhodes Rehab, in Georgia, who is undergoing a special type of therapy. She goes to music therapy sessions. This isn’t to teach her anything new; in fact, it would almost seem like she is traveling back in time. If you were to see Rosemary, you would not believe how happy she looks. She is laughing and smiling as she remembers her childhood. She even remembers the moment she met her husband. She was listening to old songs with a headset.
This music therapy is carried out by John Abel. He uses the music and memory program with several of the residents at home, including Linda Avery’s mother who also suffers from dementia. This is the only way of therapy that enables her to revisit her youth. It takes her on a trip through moments back in her life. These moments are the ones where she can be more stable. Linda says, “She looks right at me, looks right into my eyes and lets me know that she knows me. And that’s just awesome.”
The story comes to a close and the newscasters make a few closing comments. As one of the newscasters starts to speak, he is overtaken by emotion. The show quickly goes to a station break. Then, they return, and the camera goes to the same newscaster. He finishes his thought regarding his late father with tears. He says, “Music was such a big part of his life and seeing the memories that these folks had literally struck a chord. It’s powerful stuff.” This is a video, you really want to see!
