Pop Song ‘Shake It Off’ Is Helping Kids Smile Through Their Pain

Every hospital wants to help children find hope while they are fighting for their lives. Most recently, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, or CHOP as it’s called, came up with a fun and creative way to incorporate Taylor Swift’s hit song, “Shake It Off,” into into their care routine.

With March being National Child Life month, CHOP’s staff decided to recreate the video using patients and their families to help raise spirits and boost confidence in the ward. The resulting video was the brain child of staff member Andrea McGinnis, a specialist in the Child Life Creative Arts Department. McGinnis told Yahoo Parenting as follows.

“Shake It Off is a catchy song and we love the idea of really shaking it off… The kids here in our hospital are sick, going through very challenging things — everyone wishes kids wouldn’t have to go through [this]. Let’s have some fun, shake it off and forget about the hard stuff!”

The video has been streamed more than 250K times since it was first posted on YouTube March 12.

In the “Shake It Off” video, nurses wearing brightly colored scrubs replace the original ballerinas while doctors show off their dance skills in the background. McGinnis also stated that the dancing was “choreographed by child life specialists that have dance backgrounds.” The video also shows patients and staff alike lip syncing the lyrics to the hit song.

Today.com reports that in a post to its community’s Facebook page, the hospital goes into further detail about Child Life month, stating as follows about the goal of the project.

“… celebrate, honor and promote awareness and understanding of the child life profession, while educating others about the needs of children and families under stress.”

A lot of time, effort, and creative energy was put into the making of the video, with Child Life Specialists, Child Activity Coordinators, Music and Art Therapists, teachers, and dedicated volunteers feeling very excited about the project and the reaction from viewers all over the world.

There is even a cameo by NFL player Devon Still and his daughter Leah at the 1:25 that is quite fun to see.

While these young faces are the picture of health even while battling deadly diseases, not everyone has been able to shake off the effects their illness. As reported by the Inquisitr, four year old Jalene Salinas, a cancer patient who loved Swift’s music, lost her battle with the disease just a few days ago.

When an artist writes a song, it’s impossible to tell what kind of impact it may have. The song “Shake It Off” has inspired many to shake off bad situations, illnesses, and to embrace what is good. A song writer cannot ask for anything more than that.

[Image courtesy of the List]