A pair of brain tumor survivors held a jam session for the medical providers that helped them preserve their musical abilities.
“There are some smart people here, much love for these people here,” said patient Robert Alvarez.
Alvarez and Adrian Rivas were the first two patients to play instruments during an awake craniotomy at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
It’s a procedure in which patients are woken up during brain surgery to help preserve crucial movement and speech.
Alvarez’s journey was first chronicled in 2018 when the hospital posted a now-viral video of him strumming his guitar during the operation.
Rivas told KPRC 2 it was that video that gave him the courage to also undergo the procedure but in his case, it was with a drum kit that was used.
“As soon as I saw his video, I immediately agreed and said ok you know what if he can do it I can too and that’s what motivated me to do it. So I’m hoping my example helps somebody else,” said Rivas.
Dr. Sujit Prabhu, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery said it was a humbling experience to be a part of the procedure.
“I would say playing music in the operating room is not very common but what helped me take it to the next level was my interest in preserving brain function and it being part of my specialty in neurosurgery to maximize patient function,” said Dr. Prabhu.