BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A cancer survivor, who’s also a cancer nurse at the University of Vermont, is raising money for cancer patients who need help paying their bills.
It’s a musical effort he’s taking on alongside his wife.
Ted Perry moved to Vermont to play music with his friends. He was driving to the Green Mountain State from Rochester, New York, for more than 10 years to do it.
Through his cancer diagnosis and remission, to his long days as an oncology nurse, he always found time to get to the keys and jam with his friends.
Laura Ullman: “Is there a connection between music and healing?”
Ted Perry: “That’s a big question. And of course, many, many people would say yes… for me, it’s a restorative thing that provides balance to the burnout.”
When he got offered a nursing job at the UVM intensive care unit, he jumped at the opportunity.
“Music brought us to Vermont,” said Jen Perry, Ted’s wife. She’s the organizer behind Friday’s event at the South End Arts and Business Association. The Perrys put on a concert at 8:00 p.m. to raise money for cancer patients.
“I was seeing a lot of people who were having trouble, like, getting regular meals while they were getting treatment or getting medications and rides,” said Ted.
The Perrys know how hard it is to manage the small stuff when there’s a big diagnosis.
“Trying to figure out how to meet your daily needs can be exhausting, and so that fund really spoke to us,” said Jen.
Drawing from their own experience, they’re working to help others facing the same struggles. Along the way, they hope to bring the community closer through music.
