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BEV FOSTER What began as an act of love for a dying father has become a life’s mission for Port Perry musician Bev Foster. And it’s a mission that is changing how people ap- proach some of life’s most tender and sacred moments. In 2002 Bev stood at the bedside of her father who was losing his battle with Level 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. As a music educator and performer, music had always been part of the fabric of Bev’s life, but it was also a shared pas between David Simmonds and his daughter, even as he passed away in Room 7 217 at the Uxbridge Cottage Hospital. As a final act of love and comfort, Bev, her mother and her siblings sang songs for her dad as he lay dying. It may not be so unusual for families of the dying to sing the favourite songs — even hymns - of their loved one as they die. Anyone who has relaxed to the sound of a beautiful ballad, soothed a baby with a lullaby, or been transported into a warm memory because of a song they remember well, knows the power of musi What's remarkable about Bev’s story is what happened next. Inspired by the right music’s ability to As a final act of love and comfort the family sang soothe both the dying and those who love for her dad h them, Bev left Room 217 with a vision that, songs tor her dad as he today, is a pioneering force in the world of % SS al lay dying in Room 217 in music care in Canada. Old Chestnut® the Uxbridge Hospital Named for the place where her dad Ming cvions Please turn to page 6 FOCUS - FEBRUARY 2012 5 02. FEBRAURY 2012.indd 5. 12-01-28 8:55 AM