In 1998, professional musician Spielberg was pregnant(怀孕的) with twin girls when she suffered complications. An emergency cesarean(创腹产手术) was performed during the 22nd week of pregnancy. Sadly, one of the twins passed away, but Valerie survived.
Valerie was born weighing only 12 ounces and was the size of a can of soda. She was so small that she didn't meet the hospital's premature baby weight limit necessary to receive life-saving treatment. A kind nurse put a finger on the scale and recorded her weight at 17 ounces, just enough to make her receive medical support.
It was touch-and-go. To make matters worse, the hospital was very loud and busy. Spielberg
thought it felt more like an emergency room than a healing environment. She wanted to drown
out(盖过) the noises of the hospital.
She couldn't bring her piano, so she played CDs for her daughter. Amazingly, Valerie improved. Her oxygen saturation levels increased, her blood pressure stabilized, and her heart's
rhythm became more steady. This wasn't a fluke一it happened again and again for four months.
And it affected all of the other babies in the room as well. Valerie's health continued to improve
after months of music and medical attention.
Having seen the amazing impact music had on her baby, Spielberg began working with music therapists. She also volunteered in nursing homes where she once inspired a silent man to speak with music. The elderly man's wife had passed away and the pain seemed too much for him to handle. He had cut himself off from the world and hadn't spoken in 6 months. When Spielberg unknowingly played his wedding song, the man broke out of his shell. He began singing and then asked to speak with his family.
Spielberg is still a professional musician. And these days she also teaches and speaks to audiences about the magic of music. Her daughter Valerie, now a healthy and happy young woman, has become a musician herself, playing both the piano and percussion.
