September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Meet two teens who connected through music while undergoing cancer treatment.
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CLEVELAND – It was music that first brought them together, now their bond is unbreakable.
“Aidan is like my best friend now, I couldn’t ask for more,” said Marco Kaiser, who became friends with Aidan Comer while going through cancer treatment at Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
Marco has been battling leukemia since 2016 and Aidan was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma last year.
The two would have never crossed paths had it not been for their music therapist Emily Ervin.
“I remember Aidan had been newly diagnosed and he and his mom both expressed that, ‘Man it would be so nice to connect with someone here in Cleveland or at the Cleveland Clinic that’s going through the same thing he is’ and a light bulb just hit me because Marco has been working with me for quite some time,” she recalled.
It didn’t take long before they were hanging out and playing guitar. Aidan said it was a welcome distraction.
“I definitely feel like it helps me feel less alone. It’s good to have other people you can relate to because it’s not something a lot of kids can relate to,” he said. “I feel we have this understanding for it that no one else necessarily has because they haven’t been through it.”
“I just like that feeling of making someone feel good and not sad because we’re going through a tough time. I want to be there for him, help him, cheer him on, so I feel like it’s good,” Marco added.
These days you can find Aidan and Marco jamming in their new band.
“I hope that it can become popular. I think that’s the main goal. My main goal is to blow up,” Aidan said.
Emily said it’s been amazing to watch their friendship grow and looks forward to seeing them perform on stage someday.
“I just think music is something we can use no matter what, and it’s been fun to see these two really take hold of how music helps them and just really share it too,” she said. “That’s fun too, that they want to start this band and not keep it to themselves, either. That they want to share it and perform and I hope they go far.”
Aidan is currently in remission and Marco is undergoing maintenance therapy.
