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Hospice patient recording music to tell life story

Posted at 10:30 PM, Apr 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-19 22:33:16-04

WHITE CLOUD, Mich. — A White Cloud hospice patient is turning a lifelong passion into a record of his life’s journey through original music.

Ron Champion is living his life to the fullest while on hospice care, spending his days in jam sessions and taking his original tunes to a recording studio.

Music has always been a passion for the 71-year-old.

"I've loved music all of my life. I don't know what I'd do without it," he said.

He and his wife Marti have traveled all over to listen to music and jam with other musicians. But a life-threatening diagnosis slammed the traveling jam sessions to a sudden halt.

Champion was diagnosed with colon cancer and isn’t going through treatments because he was told there wasn’t a cure and the disease would prove fatal regardless.

Champion says music therapy has become the essential part of his care.

"It's just a light, mentally it just recharges me," he said.

Recently, he got to fulfill a lifelong dream and record his music at River City Studios in Grand Rapids.

"I had no idea what to expect. I thought I might be a bit anxious but as it turned out, I was pretty relaxed over it and it turned out to be a great experience," he said.

He recorded six songs, each one weaving together to one day send to his family and friends and tell his life’s story.

“We’re blessed to experience what little time we have here and I think if we kick back our heads and kind of put out some joyful singing, that we might not change the world but at least we can change some of it,” he said.