Heartwarming footage has emerged of Florence + The Machine singer Florence Welch and guitarist Rob Ackroyd performing for a teenage hospice patient in Austin, Texas, and it’s guaranteed to pull at all of your heartstrings.
Earlier this week, Welch and Ackroyd made their way to Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, to give a private performance to a 15-year-old patient whose illness prevented her from attending Florence + The Machine’s recent concert at the Austin360 Amphitheater.
Hospice Austin says Welch decided to pay the teen a visit after learning that she was “bitterly disappointed when her health prevented her from attending”.
Footage of Welch’s tear-jerking performance (below) sees her and her teenage fan harmonising on duets of Florence + The Machine tracks Shake It Out and Dog Days Are Over. The whole room joins in too, leaving us in a losing fight with our tear ducts.
“The room was full; full of joy and warmth and love and life and singing,” Hospice Austin says. “Thank you, Florence, for your loving kindness, and for making our patient’s day.”
Catch footage of the beautiful moment below, along with two heartfelt statements from Hospice Austin nurses.
Watch: Florence + The Machine Sing ‘Shake It Out’ With Teen Hospice Patient
Watch: Florence + The Machine Sing ‘Dog Days Are Over’ With Teen Hospice Patient
Statement By Hospice Austin Nurse Lev Baesh (Via Facebook)
I spend 1/2 of my days exhausted after working the other 1/2 as a hospice nurse. Today, I dragged myself back to the hospice house, after three 12+ hour shifts, to witness a gift.
True, everyday I have the opportunity to care for another human being, with the great staff I am lucky to be a part of, is a gift. Today, however, the gift was witnessing the clear joy of a room full of teenagers singing with Florence + The Machine. She and her guitarist Robert Ackroyd came to give a private concert to a young woman who missed her concert last night due to her illness. The room was full; full of joy and warmth and love and life and singing.
The best part was joining my colleagues to get a chance to weep in the presence of this gift. Weeping, all too often, takes a back seat to the act of caregiving we offer.
Thank you to Florence and your people.
Thank you to the teenagers who filled that room with life for yet another day.
And thank you to my coworkers who get it, and give it, and live it, every day we do this work.
Statement By Hospice Austin Nurse Christie Kramer (Via Facebook)
I have been awash in teenagers these last few weeks. It seems like every patient I have is far too young with kids taking the same AP tests my kid is taking. My heart has been hurting thinking about how a 17-year-old could complete a Physics test as her father lay dying. Or trying to plan a slumber party for a 16th birthday and hoping it isn’t the day her mom dies. A15-year old, so mature, holding her mom’s hand and asking how many milligrams we’ve gone up on the dose; another 15-year-old wise beyond her years as we sit in family conference talking about tube feedings.
And sometimes we have patients who are teens themselves. We have a patient who held long cherished tickets to see Florence and The Machine last night with her BFF. All week through set back after set back she asked if she would be able to go. We tried to entertain the idea and it felt so scary and overwhelming for the medical staff and her mother that finally I said no, and my heart broke again.
And then, through a remarkable team effort on the part of Christopher House and Hospice Austin Staff, we were able to make contact with Florence. My patient’s mom was so nervous- will she really come? Is she here yet? She kept popping out of the room and checking. And Florence came. And her mom burst into tears of joy at the sight of her and Florence gave her a big hug. Florence walked around the corner to the patient’s room — stuffed to the gills with teen friends — and there were shrieks and squeals and so much joyous music and singing and tears and tears and tears of grief and joy and hope and love and utter devastation and somehow simple kindness made everything better. Many thanks to my wonderful colleagues who made this happen and to Florence + The Machine for giving an amazing gift of kindness.
Gallery: Florence + The Machine – Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13.11.15 / Photos: Maria Boyadgis
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15
-
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #2
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #3
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #4
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #5
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #6
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #7
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine - Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13/11/15 #9
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis -
Florence + The Machine
Sydney Opera House Forecourt, 13/11/15 Photographer: Maria Boyadgis
