Meet Simone Baldeon, our featured volunteer from Miami!
Get to know our volunteers!
Do you volunteer at a specific hospital? I volunteer at South Miami Hospital
How long have you been volunteering with Musicians On Call? 5 Years
Are you a Volunteer Guide or Volunteer Musician? Guide
What is your occupation outside of MOC? Library & Services Coordinator at Baptist Health of South Florida
Do You Have Any Hidden Talents? Quilting
What is your story? What connects you with music and why do you volunteer with MOC? I always loved to sing and sang in various choirs throughout my life.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and soon after finishing chemotherapy, I joined a choir for breast cancer survivors, which opened my awareness to the healing power of music.
Soon after, I was given the opportunity to volunteer with MOC as a guide, and because of that experience, I felt a newly acquired compassion for patients in hospital beds and wanted to share with them what had helped me in my recovery, which was MUSIC.
What makes MOC different from your other volunteer experiences? Bringing a moment of joy to patients who are in pain and knowing that even those five minutes of music will lift their spirit is gratifying.
Has your life changed because of your experience with MOC? Yes. It has given me a sense of purpose, and has been ongoing therapy in my journey to remain cancer free: when I listen to the songs that I have in my MOC playlist ( songs I have heard during my shifts in the last five years), I am filled with gratitude for my life and for the gift of music that we bring to the patients.
What is your favorite #MOCmoment? Watching patients tapping their fingers, humming along, teary eyed or sometimes just moving their toes to the beat of the music.
