A rockSTAR Essay
Written by rockSTAR Faith
“Using one of the leadership roles or extracurricular activities you prioritized as being important to you, describe what impact the experience had on you, what you contributed, what you learned about yourself, and how it has influenced your plans for the future.”
My experiences with the Melodic Caring Project (MCP) have influenced me deeply and changed my life completely. MCP is an international non-profit organization that I’ve had the privilege of working with since I was introduced to them while a patient at the local children’s hospital when I was only nine years old. This amazing organization streams live concerts of famous artists and sends personal messages of love and encouragement straight from the stage to children in hospitals battling serious diseases. As a young girl, it would have been easy for me to feel unseen and unheard because of my rare and painful disease. A large and mechanical system that shuffles you through a litany of doctors that often see you as only a definition of your disease, instead of an individual. I spent many days in the belly of the hospital, moving from one department to another, one surgical room to another, one radiation department to another, silent.
But MCP did not allow my disability to ever define me. They valued my tough experiences and accepted and loved me in my pain, listened carefully, as if they counted on me to have something important to say, then put me to work without questioning my limitations. They regularly gave me the mic and camera, to host galas or to speak on local media spots, giving me the needed confidence to continue. Ultimately, these individuals taught me how to amplify my voice. They asked me to be an ambassador and guided me on how to publicly speak and to enjoy the process of engaging with the public while moving them into action. I remember clearly one day being on the phone with the CEOs of large corporations, famous sports stars, and celebrities, thanking them for their donations and engaging in meaningful conversation…I was 14 years old. MCP taught me how to take my own skills and talents and make them applicable in the workforce by giving me the confidence that my voice was important but also teaching me to value compassion, empathy, and kindness. Because of them, I now understand that my heart and voice are more valuable than my disease.
The skills MCP allowed me to develop over the years, now feel like second nature. They’ve become part of me, comfortable and confident. I now use these skills daily as I champion other individuals and charities, using my voice to help those in my community and around the world without a voice. From my work with a small village school in Togo, Africa building a library for the community, to supporting abused women and children here in Lynnwood, to teaching elementary school classes about the value of community service, the opportunities are endless to use the gifts MCP has offered me. My future is brighter and better because of my MCP family, but in all honesty, the entire world is better because of them because they listen, love, and give a voice to those who need it most.
-Faith Murray, rockSTAR
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It’s really difficult to put into words all that you have given Faithy over the years since we first met. It started with the music but quickly encompassed so much more. You all have changed her life for the better and therefore have changed the world.💗
-Libby Murray, rockSTAR Mom
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It started when she was just 9 years old rock’n a little 🎃 shirt singing along to Jason Mraz. Today, as a High-School Senior, rockSTAR Faith is now officially a part of our paid MCP Team putting her leadership skills and patient experience to work helping other families find healing and support through Melodic Caring Project.
These stories are a gift to us and a testament to our mission at work inspiring us on a daily basis. Thank you so much for sharing your #rockSTARstory with us Faith + Libby, we are truly honored to know you both and humbled by your testimony.
And thank you to our supporters who make our mission possible! If you believe in our mission and want to help impact more lives like Faith, click that donate button today 🙏
❤️ Your MCP Family
