Woman with cancer, her daughter give back by playing music for other patients

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WXII) – There’s just something about the sound of music and song that is very special.

Just ask Andrea Bills.

“I just want them to know that even something as small as a beautiful song can keep you going,” Andrea Bills said.

And also her mother, Mary Ann.

“They’ll come up and say, ‘Beautiful music.’ People will be crying,” Bills said.

The duo can be found “tickling the ivories” and strumming the violin strings each Tuesday at the Novant Health Cancer Institute in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“She just sat and started playing one day, and they never told her to stop,” Bills described.

But the mother and daughter’s story goes much deeper than that.

Mary Ann, the pleasing pianist, is also a patient herself at the medical center.

“We’ve been doing this since my mother got her initial diagnosis. She is a patient here and she just wanted to give something back,” Bills said.

Mary Ann has been battling endometrial cancer that metastasized and required 11 months of chemotherapy.

“She had to stop working. She was so sick, but she would come in here every Thursday and play for them for at least an hour, just so she could feel good about herself and help others feel better about themselves,” Bills said.

Moved by the music, her piano playing brings so much pleasure to those who need it most.

“Just the influx of love, it’s very important to the cancer patients that were here,” Bills said.

Their music brings moments of bliss to the brave patients fighting cancer battles every day.

“I’ve had a doctor come up and write me a letter and say, ‘Thank you so much for what you do.’ I’m a previous patient. It’s important to us. Thank you so much for what you do”

Richard Rubenacker’s wife is also diagnosed with cancer.

“Everybody makes it not-so-awful to have to come for radiation or whatever treatments,” Rubenacker said.

His wife has been with breast cancer for about a year.

The duo’s chords provide some comfort.

“We knew they came on Tuesdays, so we made an effort to come an hour early today so she could listen to them because she loves music,” Rubenacker added.

It’s in the melody of the music where a little bit of healing can be found.

“My mother has always been a kind, loving person, always wanting to give back to people, and it means a lot to me in the sense. I want to do the same,” Bills said.