Music serves as a stimulus for the soul. A sweet melody has the power to calm us down or uplift our spirits, which is why practices like music therapy exist. Moreover, this art is also integrated into medicine through neuro-rehabilitation therapies.

A good rhythm and melody not only awaken our soul but also bring certain health benefits. On this occasion, we have been surprised by the therapeutic effect that a children’s song has had, enabling a young girl with spina bifida to walk.

Harper Comparin is 2 years old, and when her mother Erica Comparin was only 18 weeks pregnant, doctors informed her that the little one would be born with spina bifida.

According to specialists, it was likely that due to this genetic condition, the girl would be paralyzed from her stomach down, depending on the degree of malformation.

“I felt like my daughter was taken away from me. The way our specialist described it was devastating. It felt like I had lost a child,” said Erica Comparin.

Despite the news, this mother decided to move forward and strive to provide a safe and quality life for her little one, regardless of her condition.

At 7 months, before Harper was born, doctors performed corrective surgery in the womb, aiming to reduce the size of the spinal column and spinal cord malformation to some extent.

Even before she was born, the little one had started receiving medical assistance to treat her spina bifida. Before reaching her first year of age, the girl had undergone seven surgeries, but there came a point when her parents decided to stop the interventions.

Harper’s parents decided to try something less invasive and took the girl to the therapy sessions of physiotherapist Michelle Schultz at the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Despite the therapy sessions being fun and the environment being decorated for the comfort of children, initially, Harper was hesitant to even put her feet on the ground.

“Earning the trust of a child who has been through so many procedures is challenging. They see you as another person who is going to push and push. You have to show them that you are there to help them be kids,” said Schultz.

Michelle knew how to earn the girl’s trust with each session. Initially, the exercises were quite simple, but there came a point where Harper lost all fear and had no hesitation in starting to experiment with the treadmill.

But there is something special that has motivated this little girl in her therapy sessions. Michelle taught her to accompany her steps with the rhythm of the children’s song “Baby Shark.”

Assisted by a resistance band, Harper has started taking her first steps.

The melody distracts the little girl and keeps her relaxed while she works hard in her therapies. Unbeknownst to her, and considering them as moments of fun, Harper has started walking during her hospital visits.

“Harper is a fighter. Those things are things I can’t teach. I can’t teach motivation. I can’t teach goodwill. I can’t teach power and strength. That personality is something that is already built within you,” said Schultz.

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Just look at how heartwarming she looks and how proudly she strives to take her steps with so much joy.

This popular children’s melody has provided great moments of fun for many kids, but in the lives of this family, its rhythm conveys more than just joy. For the Comparin family, “Baby Shark” has become a reminder of their daughter’s strength, as she has been able to walk despite all the prognoses.