Aphasia and Singing

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Wed Apr 06, 2022 at 01:23:13 PM EST
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There have been a lot of news stories last week and this week about Bruce Willis who has developed aphasia. Aphasia usually happens after a stroke but can be caused by other things. Language and communication, which are controlled by the left side of the brain, are usually affected. Here is the New York Times explanation.

I was surprised that the Times didn't mention that many aphasic individuals, while they can't speak, can sing. (Singing is controlled by the right side of the brain).

In 2015, I wrote about aphasia and singing, describing a woman I represented in the 1970's. Following a brain aneurysm in her early 30's, she was a quadriplegic and she couldn't talk. It's one of my favorite client stories. I am reprinting it below:

When I was a very young lawyer, I represented a 31 year old who suffered an aneurysm that left her aphasic and a quadriplegic. She only had partial use of one arm. Her words came out completely garbled. At the time of her aneurysm, she and her husband had a 1 1/2 year old daughter. Her husband was devoted to her -- for a year until he fell in love her nurse. After divorcing her and marrying the nurse, he was no longer willing to bring the toddler to see her mother. So the family wanted the Court to order visitation.

When the family retained me, the woman had been in a rehab facility for a while and progressed to living in an apartment with roommates. When she spoke, it was was like she had rocks in her mouth and I couldn't understand her. I spent a lot of time with her, and learned she could sing.

When the day came for the court hearing, I called her as a witness. A nurse wheeled her into the courtroom and placed her at the witness box. After confirming her name and that she had a daughter, I asked her how she felt about her daughter. In a voice as clear as a bell, and in perfect pitch, she sang out "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." Everyone in the courtroom had tears in their eyes, including the Judge.

We won the hearing and her ex-husband was ordered to bring her daughter to visit her every other Sunday afternoon.

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I'm sending good thoughts to Bruce Willis and his family. They seem to be a blended family where they all get along, which of course, will be best for Bruce in so many ways.