Music offers one way to keep those parts of childhood within reach. It can encourage children to engage with the world around them, whether that’s singing a favorite song, moving to music, or simply finding a bright spot during a difficult day. It also offers a welcome break from the routines of treatment, transforming a hospital room into a playful space for creativity. As a therapeutic tool, music can help children express emotions that might otherwise be difficult to put into words, offering comfort and a sense of control during an uncertain time.
A gift established by the Mark “Brad” Bradford Webster Memorial Pediatric Oncology Fund will help sustain and expand an on-site music therapy program at Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Vermont, making its benefits available to even more patients and families during treatment.
“I’ve watched parents put aside the stress of treatment for a few minutes and sing with their child or share a laugh together. In those moments, they’re not focused on cancer. They’re just being a family.” — Julia Conner, M.S.W.
“When a child is going through cancer treatment, it’s easy for every day to become about medications, appointments, and procedures,” says Heather Bradeen, M.D., division chief of pediatric hematology/oncology at Golisano Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine. “Music gives kids a chance to be kids again while helping them cope with the challenges of treatment. We’re incredibly grateful for this gift because it will help create those moments for more families.”
The impact often extends well beyond the patient.
“One of the most special things about music is what it does for families,” says Julia Conner, M.S.W., the team’s pediatric oncology social worker. “I’ve watched parents put aside the stress of treatment for a few minutes and sing with their child or share a laugh together. In those moments, they’re not focused on cancer. They’re just being a family.”
Through music, the Webster family’s gift helps ensure that even amid cancer treatment, children have opportunities to laugh, play, and connect with others.
That focus on childhood, family, and emotional well-being is central to the fund’s mission. Created by Brad’s mother, Martha “Marti” Webster, the fund honors a child whose cancer journey showed his family the power of skilled care and a community that rallied around them. And while Brad’s battle with a brain stem glioma was tragically short, it revealed a network of support that left a lasting impression on those who loved him. The fund also honors Marshall “Buzz” Land, M.D., Brad’s beloved pediatrician, whose care combined medical expertise with a remarkable understanding of what children and families need most—an approach that continues to inspire the pediatric oncology team today.
Through music, the Webster family’s gift helps ensure that even amid cancer treatment, children have opportunities to laugh, play, and connect with others while holding onto the moments that make being a kid special.