Doug Jones- using his musical gifts to comfort GRH patients

Transcript for: Learn more about Doug and his passion for supporting patients through their care.

(Guitar playing)

My name is Doug Jones, I play at the regional cancer centre to patients receiving treatments and I also play occasionally in the mental health department on Monday evenings.

I learned in high school in the age of Bob Dylan; Peter, Paul and Mary; and Gordon Lightfoot. I started playing for my children, tucking them into bed, I played at church, I played around campfires. And then when my mom became quite ill and she was at Grand River Hospital, I would come in first thing in the morning and play for her.

I had a bit of time on my hands as I'm semi-retired, I had a dental practice in Waterloo for many many years, and I decided to volunteer, to see if I could be of help in the hospital. I approached Grand River and volunteer resources put me in touch with Sarah Pearson who's the music therapist and I interviewed with Sarah and we hit it off.

It's gentle, it's gentle music and when you see the nurses being so caring and so careful about setting up the IVs or whatever, my music is... it's just like a backdrop to that. It's very gentle. And frankly sometimes people cry and more often the family members than the patients, but they're not bad tears.

When you give you end up getting, and when I visit with the cancer patients I also get to visit with the nurses up there and they are absolutely angels. In fact one of them, my friend's name is Faith which is quite appropriate.

And the people that I see there are absolutely authentic and real, and that's a huge gift.