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Music therapist at DeVos Children’s Hospital records young patients’ heartbeats

Posted at 8:13 AM, Jul 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-08 08:13:07-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A music therapist at a Michigan hospital records the heartbeats of young patients and sets the sounds to music as a gift for parents and other loved ones.

Bridget Sova has made between 60 and 70 heartbeat recordings during her year at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. The 24-year-old uses a specialized stethoscope recorder to gather the thumping, rhythmic sounds, then blends them with a recording of her playing guitar or singing a tune of the family’s choosing.

Sova has paired heartbeats with everything from traditional lullabies to songs by pop stars Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.

Kim Betser listens to a recording that includes her infant daughter’s heartbeat just about every day. She says it brings her joy after rough patches during Adalyn’s first months of life.