Carolina Strong: 7-year-old and her music therapist share a name and a special bond

CHARLOTTE — A young girl and her therapist are proof that music and language can be healing.

When 7-year-old Ana Guillen wasn’t able to leave her hospital room, a music therapist — also named Ana — found a way to connect with her and create something special.

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Guillen just received a bone marrow transplant to treat her leukemia. Because of her fragile immune system, she wasn’t able to leave her hospital room, so music became her creative outlet.

Only a few months ago, she met Ana Ortiz, a music therapist at Atrium Health. And thus, a song was born in Guillen’s native language: Spanish.

“I think it’s beautiful that music is a universal language, can bring you together whether you understand the language or not,” Ortiz said.

>> In the video at the top of the page, Channel 9′s Gina Esposito explains it’s more than just their name that bonds the two.

Every day, there are people across the Carolinas doing extraordinary things. They’re giving back, they’re helping each other, and they’re making a real difference. We’re highlighting the best in our community in our series, Carolina Strong.

Know somebody who’s making a positive impact? Let us know here.

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