At The Montreal Children’s Hospital, healing doesn’t just happen with machines and treatments. Sometimes, it starts with a note, made possible through your support and that of other donors to the Foundation.

Born with three heart defects, Isaac was hospitalized from the first weeks of his life. He was fragile, not very mobile, and limited in his reactions. 

“He didn’t really look at what was going on around him,” his mother, Mia, says.

The days went on, long, and punctuated by treatments and doctors’ visits. The room, reduced to a bed, a few wires plugged in here and there, and the parents’ worry.

Until one morning, when a music therapist walked into the room. Tanya Lavoie, with her guitar, a calm voice, and a reassuring presence. She plays the first note and Isaac turns his head. A small gesture, but a decisive one. Something opens up inside him.

“I saw him discover, observe,” adds Mia. The music draws his attention, piques his curiosity. Little by little, his body follows. A hand raises. He touches a toy, and he starts again, each movement becoming more confident.

“Today, he grabs things. Musical therapy really helped unlock his movements.”

Each milestone counts. For a baby in hospital, moving, exploring and interacting are crucial steps. Music becomes the bridge between desire and action. But its effects don’t stop there.

“It calms us as well. We breathe better,” Mia confides. In the midst of a hectic daily routine, the weekly session becomes a point of reference, a moment to look forward to.

“On Mondays, I’d say ‘Tanya is coming,” she says. Isaac would recognize her name and light up.

As the sessions went on, a bond developed. Tanya suggested writing a song for Isaac. A song just for him, inspired by his story. It’s quickly become a daily tool. In the bathtub, in moments of agitation, just a few lyrics and he starts to settle.

“When he hears it, he smiles,” says Mia. Music leaves the hospital room to become a part of everyday life.

For the music therapist, each session is adapted to the child’s needs. Quieter when they’re tired, more upbeat when they’re ready to play. Music becomes a shared language between the child, the parent, and the music therapist.

Beyond improving motor skills, music helps support development overall—attention, emotions, attachment. It leaves room for play, for relationships to flourish, for childhood. This care exists because of you. Every session, every instrument, every song is made possible through your generosity and your donations.

For Isaac, it all started with a note. Just one. And with it, a whole new world opened up to him.