Man, 91, Regains Voice to Sing ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ to Wife with Dementia
NEED TO KNOW
- Jerome, a 91-year-old Army veteran, has been struggling with vocal cord atrophy, an age-related condition that weakens the voice
- He underwent two years of therapy at the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) Memorial Hermann in Houston so he could since to his wife on their anniversary
- Footage shows Jerome singing “Wind Beneath My WIngs” to his wife, who has dementia, on their 66th anniversary
A man who lost his voice underwent therapy to regain it — just so he could sing to his wife, who has dementia, on their anniversary.
Army veteran Jerome, 91, sings the same song — Bette Midler’s 1989 hit, “Wind Beneath My Wings” — to his wife every year on their anniversary. But Jerome has been struggling with vocal cord atrophy, or presbylaryngis, an age-related condition that can cause a weaker, thin voice and vocal fatigue.
He sought help at the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) Memorial Hermann in Houston, where therapists worked with him on vocal exercises and breathing techniques to help him regain strength again.
Thanks to two years of treatment, Jerome — who had been a member of the Houston Symphony Chorus for nearly 19 years — was able to sing to his wife on their 66th anniversary.
Footage shows Jerome, with his arm around his wife, crooning the lyrics to her, while she rests her hand on his knee, smiling.
In a statement, the hospital said, “Not only is [Jerome] back to singing in the mornings from his balcony but he is singing to his wife again, too. This is particularly poignant because Mother Nature has begun to steal some of her memory and cognition. Music is how they still connect.”
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Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
