- Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi opens Sophie's Place music therapy room.
- Named after Sophie Barton, it offers healing through music for young patients.
- The facility is the largest of its kind, promoting therapeutic and emotional benefits.
LEHI — Music can mean everything to kids staying at the hospital. At Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi, they understand the power of music therapy in a child's healing journey.
The hospital opened a new music therapy room Wednesday, named after Sophie Barton, a lover of music who died at age 17 in 2010.
As the ninth Sophie's Place across the nation, Lehi's facility is the largest and most advanced room yet. The space follows in the footsteps of the first Sophie's Place created over a decade ago, located at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. Guitars (including one from Taylor Swift), drums, practice rooms, records on the walls and a large light-up "Shine On" sign make the space tailored for young musicians eager to aid their healing journey.
"Sophie's Place is really an outlet for kids. We really see the expressive therapies as being preventative care. If we can help kids have a less traumatic, less difficult time while they're here, then they will leave healthy," said Spencer Hardy, director of family support services for Intermountain Health.
Sophie's Place was created in partnership with the Forever Young Foundation, led by the NFL legend Steve Young and his wife Barbara Young. Each music therapy center is named after Sophie Barton, a volunteer who played music for Primary Children's patients before her sudden death while hiking.
"Sophie shared her heart, her voice and her dream of healing through music," said Lisa Paletta, president of the Miller Family Campus. "That dream lives on in every note played, in every child comforted. This is a place where music therapy and creative expression are tools for healing, connections and hope for children facing illness and recovery."
The music therapy centers at hospitals nationwide are deeply personal for the Youngs. After watching the passing of her friend after a car accident, Barbara Young began to notice a need for additional help in the hospital settings. Steve Young also has a deep love for helping children in the hospital, sparked by his visit post-BYU career, where he encountered numerous kids fighting illnesses. Through their foundation, they have helped to build the various music therapy locations.
"Through Sophie's place, Sophie's heart continues to beat on, bringing comfort, inspiration and healing to countless young patients," Steve Young said. "The frequency of physician-prescribed music therapy underscores just how vital this noninvasive, functional treatment is in transforming and improving the lives of the children we are privileged to serve."
Barbara Young also illustrated the physical benefits of creative therapies, in addition to the emotional ones.
"Scientific studies have consistently shown that music therapy activates and integrates multiple areas of the brain, promoting neuroplasticity and the development of new neural pathways, helping regulate pain responses, lowering stress hormones, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and enhancing both fine and gross motor skills in children," Barbara Young shared.
Sophie's parents, Anne-Marie and Kent Barton, also shared how important the facility is to their family.
"It means so much more knowing this is Sophie's Place, having grown up in the area," Anne-Marie Barton said. "Nothing means more than knowing the Primary Children's Lehi location and Sophie's Place are here to serve the children by bringing music for healing. Her soul is here in Utah, and this new location means she can inspire healing and love for all those who visit these special rooms."
With Sophie's unexpected and rapid death, Sophie's Place lends itself to a sort of closure for her family and a way to pass on her love of music.
"We didn't have any goodbyes. It was fast, and it was hard. But I'm not the only one who's gone through suffering," Anne-Marie Barton shared. "This brings us such joy to contribute to bringing that kind of inspiration to a space in the hospital to help all of those who are suffering."
Sophie's song lyrics served as the inspiration for the large "Shine On" placed on the wall. Journals, songs posted to the internet and Sophie's legacy are on full display at Sophie's Place.
The event finished with Primary Children's patients performing songs for the crowd. Performer David Osmond and BYU mascot Cosmo also made an appearance. Sophie's Place in Lehi will now be available for patients at the Miller Family Campus.
