“Every word he has learned has been through music.”
Creative therapies for people with disabilities have grown massively in recognition in recent years and a new viral video shows just why.
Bo Gray is two years old and has Down syndrome. His condition means he’s been slow to start speaking.
He loves music, though, in particular the song ‘You Are My Sunshine’.
His mum Amanda Bowman Gray captured a video of Bo and his 11-year-old sister, Lydia, singing the song this week and shared it online to show how much her son has benefitted from music therapy.
“My daughter Lydia was watching Bo while I was in the shower. Came out to this,” she wrote on Facebook.
Doctors had told Amanda that Bo might not start to talk until he was three, but he’s defied all expectations thanks to Lydia’s efforts.
“If she didn’t have a guitar I don’t know if she would know how to babysit him,” continued Amanda.
“This is her go to. It’s proof that music therapy works. Bo is 25 months old and has a 12 word vocabulary. Every word he has learned has been through music and singing.”
The video, which was posted on Monday, has been viewed over 38 million times.
Bo’s first word came when Lydia, who has played the guitar since age 4, was singing to him one day in October.
She noticed her brother was saying the word ‘happy’ along with her as she sang.
“We feel like he’s defying the odds,” his mum told ABC News.
“Thanks to Lydia and her determination, she pushed forward with music therapy.
“We’re so proud of our kids.”
