Healthcare worker’s piano sessions at children’s hospital goes viral

FORT MEYERS, Fla. (KPLC/Gray News) - An emergency medical technician is going viral on TikTok for his piano sessions during his breaks at a Florida children’s hospital.

Shawn Foley was working a stressful, overnight shift at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, when he decided to spend his break at the piano in the lobby, KPLC reported.

“It was a super, super busy night in the emergency room; lots of acute critical kids,” Foley said. “And then, like 3:00 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., it died down a little bit and I got to the piano and I was like, ‘Well, I might as well play.’ And there was nobody around...then I start just jamming out.”

But, someone was there.

“Little did he know, I was going out there and I was having a bad night,” colleague Danielle Herby said. “I’m listening to this and I sat there for the whole thirty minutes just sitting there and it made me feel so much better.”

Herby recorded Foley playing and posted the video to her TikTok page.

The video quickly reached millions of viewers, many who are also healthcare workers.

“With COVID going on and stuff, you definitely have an overwhelming amount of patients that you have to look after and you just want to help everybody, but sometimes you can’t even though you want to,” Herby said.

Herby and Foley agree that losing patients is the hardest part of the job.

“That exists in health care. It’s always existed and always will exist and that why it’s so important to have outlets like music,” Foley said. “I’m so happy that it has touched so many people. It really is incredible to see.”

The two healthcare workers say they will continue to post videos of Foley’s piano sessions.

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