Ava’s story

Ava has complex health needs, but found her voice through our online Community Choir during the Covid pandemic.

Ava, who is 12 years old, has complex health needs including cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She’s also blind. As a consequence, she has global developmental delay and is non-verbal. 

Ava has always loved music and it has brought her and her family many magical moments over the years. “Music is great leveller, and it breaks through the barriers of disability,” says her mum, Liz.  “It’s always been there throughout all the highs and lows of our journey with Ava. It’s been an important part of her life.”   

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic proved hugely disruptive to Ava’s established routines. “Obviously, our access to normal support services – school, therapy services, everything – just shut down overnight,” says Liz. “We went into full shielding with Ava quite early.” At this time of heightened stress and uncertainty, music provided a lifeline.

In March 2020, as that first wave of coronavirus took hold, we moved the Nordoff and Robbins Community Choir online. Every week, Ava and her mum Liz joined music therapists Oli and Emily and the rest of the choir on a Zoom call, to sing together. The impact on Ava was considerable.

The first time Ava responded to her name was in a music therapy session. And that was the start of an incredible journey of discovery as to what music could bring to her.

Liz, Ava’s mum

Ava loved the feeling of being sung to. The choir also encouraged her to find her own voice. “Although she’s non-verbal, she’s developed a really beautiful pitch and tone when she’s singing, which has been really lovely. For the first time in her life, Ava experienced inclusion – full inclusion.”