Was This Song Written Just For You? A Vernon musician is using one of his songs as part of a GoFundMe campaign to help a teen battling cancer at Children’s Hospital. The You Are Strong Project was launched December 8th to provide support for her family and a message of hope to anyone with the compassion to donate.
Randy Osborne donated to the Project, received his own copy of song, and commented, “It felt like you wrote it just for me. This will encourage many people’s hearts.”
Like many of us this crazy year, a Vernon family has had their lives turned upside down. Joyce, 17 and in her graduation year at Clarence Fulton Secondary, was diagnosed in September with Ewing’s Sarcoma, bone cancer in her hip.
Kevin Bader, a Vernon musician, immediately and secretly got to work on recording one of his new songs to help. What’s the connection? Bader’s son Jeremy has been dating Joyce for over a year. “She’s like our third kid,” says Kevin, “the one family we bubbled with.”
“Just a few weeks before Joyce’s diagnosis,” Bader explains, “a friend of mine was experiencing a rough patch. I was inspired by his story to write a song about having strength through such times. Most of the song flowed from my pen in under an hour. At that point, I did something I’d never done before: though the song was in its early stages of development, I played it for Jeremy and Joyce who were watching TV together at our house. I told them I wanted to make the song universal enough to touch anyone experiencing a tough go, regardless of the specifics.”
Ten minutes later, after adding a bridge, Bader took a guitar into his back yard, propped up his cell phone, and recorded a rough version of the song to share on social media.
Just a few weeks later was Joyce’s diagnosis. “It was immediately and emphatically obvious to me that the song was for her,” says Bader. In the weeks from September until now, and without Joyce knowing about it, Bader started a studio recording project including You Are Strong. Son Jeremy is the drummer, and daughter Jessica is singing harmonies!
“With your donation to help Joyce’s family’s increasing expenses, I’d be honoured to thank you by sending you a copy of the song You Are Strong,” says Bader, “With the ups and downs of life, chances are there’s someone else in your circle who would benefit from its message of hope. The song has already made its way to Australia with love for a fella who just lost his wife to cancer.”
Press Release For immediate release: Dec. 9, 2020
