Like a bell rings in the film, It’s a Wonderful Life, whenever an angel gets its wings, a hospital in British Columbia plays the lilting sound of chimes in hallways and rooms whenever a baby is born.
The practice, launched February 20 at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, was inspired by ringing chimes following every birth at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington.
In a place where grief, sadness and death burden so many, the tinkling sound of chimes, initiated by pressing a big orange button in the delivery rooms, can bring a sense of healing and lightness to families.
The public announcement system is normally broadcasting urgent distress calls such as a missing patient, according to Kamloops BC Now. The sound of a chime following the birth of a baby now offers a moment to pause in the midst of chaos.
The chimes idea in Kamloops was initiated by Michaela Swan, who works as a spokesperson at the hospital, and her sister, Dara Johnson, a nurse there.
(WATCH the video at CFJC-TV)
Photo by InteriorHealth.ca (From left to right: Michaela Swan, Dara Johnson, Amy Kamp with baby Talia and Corey Kamp)