Food service ambassador spreading joy through her voice

Tue, Aug 7th 2018 03:00 pm
Gloria Peay (left) has helped brighten the day of Diana Donnarumma during her hospital stay. (Courtesy of Kenmore Mercy Hospital)
Gloria Peay (left) has helped brighten the day of Diana Donnarumma during her hospital stay. (Courtesy of Kenmore Mercy Hospital)

Food service ambassador Gloria Peay is delivering a special patient experience as she serenades the individuals she meets during her job at Kenmore Mercy Hospital.  Her story has gone viral on social media after a video of her singing was posted by a patient on Aug. 1.

Within two days, the video recorded by Diana Donnarumma had exceeded 12,000 views and prompted hundreds of individuals to share their testimonials of how Peay's special talent had brightened their day.

Studies show music helps patients in recovery. Peay does her part by getting patients to smile through her voice, something she has been doing since she had a song request from a patient eight years ago.

"I've been singing ever since I could remember what a vocal cord was," Peay said. "I get a lot of smiles and I love that. That just fuels my day, just to see somebody smile." She sings a 'Hello' and 'Good Bye' song to each patient she serves when they get checked in and eventually leave their room.

A patient on Kenmore Mercy's 2 East unit at the time, 24-year-old Donnarumma has experienced quite the medical journey. "I just spent the last nine months in Washington, D.C. at Georgetown MedStar Hospital. And, I received a multi-organ transplant which included my small and large intestine, and they removed 98-percent of my stomach," she said.

When Peay sings, you can feel her joy springing from her body, described Donnarumma. She fills the room with joy.

"If you could smile during a sickness, that's a healing, that's a medication that you can't buy in stores," Peay said. "That should be our ultimate goal every day, just to make somebody happy." 
 

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