Brooke Shockley, 14, and Drew Seeley at Hopkins Children's
 

Disney’s High School Musical singing star Drew Seeley stopped by Hopkins Children’s, Nov. 2, to serenade a teen battling bone cancer. The recording artist performed “Fly,” a song he wrote for patient Brooke Shockley, 14. Seeley had chatted with her earlier this year via Skype, as a participant in the “Donate a Song” project  launched by Leora Friedman, daughter of Hopkins Children’s oncologist Alan Friedman, to support and encourage children and teens undergoing medical treatment. Sisters and co-founders, Leora and Ariela Friedman, developed Music is Medicine in 2008 to use music to uplift hospitalized children. Seeley is the first to participate in its "Donate a Song" project, which connects artists with pediatric patients.  
 

A longtime fan of Seeley, and his 2008 movie Another Cinderella Story, Brooke learned he was coming to Hopkins Children's to meet her only a short time before their Nov. 2 meeting on the pediatric oncology unit.

“I was really shocked and excited,” she said, describing the moment when she heard that Seeley had written a song for her and was going to deliver it in person. “That he would take time out of his life to write this song and then come here to sing it really means a lot to me.”

Accompanied on the guitar by his friend and music producer Brandon Slavinski, Seeley serenaded Brooke in the company of other oncology patients and their families at Hopkins Children’s. Later that day, she was featured in the filming of a music video of the song, due for release later this year.“In the song, talking about how I will walk and everything, it just makes me want to work harder,” she said, adding, “he has inspired me.”    

Seeley said that he was the one inspired. “You are awesome,” he told her.   

Watch Seeley sing to Brooke
 

Pediatric oncology program at Hopkins Children's