Off The Record

He Was Hired To Wheel Patients To Their Rooms And Had No Idea Cameras Were Recording Him

Published on September 16, 2023

There’s something incredibly appealing about music that can reach us on such a fundamental, sub-conscious level.

It’s something we can relate to; it can move us to laughter or tears, inspire courage, or lead to introspection.

Simply put, there isn’t much that can’t be made better with the help of a well-crafted musical composition.

A soothing tune can be just what you need to calm your nerves, and a gentle refrain can help calm your racing thoughts.

Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has a patient transporter named Lindon Beckford.

Since he was a young boy, he has used his voice to bring solace to the world and to himself. The setting doesn’t matter to him.

Although Beckford has been a singer for as long as he can remember, he was nonetheless surprised by the positive response he received from the patients he was transporting when he performed for them.

“I was always singing at work. I was always singing as a child growing up, so it was just a natural thing. It was more for a comforting thing…” said Beckford.

“… So I did that just to comfort myself, but all of a sudden I get to realize people was listening to me.”

Beckford started using singing in his practice after seeing that it was beneficial.

Since he’s been in the same hospital for almost 30 years, he’s had plenty of time to develop strategies for calming down nervous patients.

He explained: “Depending on the conversation that I hear… is the patient in pain? What song can I sing to relieve them.

“At the end when I get them to their procedure or back to their room they will tell me, ‘you know, you make this trip from here to there so much easier because of your singing’.”

It’s just an expression of something familiar and dear to Beckford. But it can make a huge difference for his patients.

“I remember the first time a patient journeyed with me, I was taking her to the cath lab, and she started doing harmonies for what I was singing, I’m like ‘oh’, it was so amazing, I’m like ‘wow’, and ever since then that happened a few times,” Beckford said.

Everyone can tell how much Beckford values the lives of the passengers in his care.

His voice is a comforting companion at a time when people may be feeling lost or anxious, uncertain, or even afraid. That’s one of the few truly priceless things in life.

To hear Beckford perform, check out the video below: