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A crowd of nurses has gathered in the hallway of Unit 4B at Trillium Health Partners’ Mississauga hospital.

Patients have been rushed to the nearby lounge.

There is a sense of excitement in the air and people are talking about “nurse Kremena.”

Even before they see her, they can hear her coming down the hall.

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Kremena Popova is playing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” on her violin and there are loud cheers and applause.

Within minutes, the generally somber mood at the hospital has shifted.

The music is striking a chord with all those listening.

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“Believe me, coming to the hospital before Christmas is not fun and so this really lifted my spirits,” said patient Evelyn Dupuis Blanks.

2:29 Nurse uses music to lift spirits at Mississauga hospital Nurse uses music to lift spirits at Mississauga hospital

Popova is not only a musician, she is a registered practical nurse who works at the hospital.

“My grandma was a music teacher so she made sure all of us, everybody in my family, plays .. she really wanted us to be in music but I chose nursing instead” she laughed.

Popova has found a way of combining her two passions in perfect harmony.

“The best thing is when you see the light come into their eyes because a lot of those people they spend a lot of the day sitting, there’s not a lot of activity, not a lot of stimulation, and people love music, everybody loves music, music is such a universal tool to reach everybody,” she said.

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Studies have shown music is more than entertainment, it provides relaxation and motivation. Music therapy is a formal recognized type of therapy. For Popova, she said it is about using her own natural talent to care for patients and help to lift their spirits.

As she performed in the lounge, patients used small instruments to make music of their own.

Everyone, including the staff gathered behind Popova, were listening and some were even singing along.

“Nursing is my second career. Before that I used to do music therapy actually. I saw what a difference music made in people’s lives … brings people out of isolation,” she added.

During the holidays, Popova visits various wards in the hospital and takes requests of all kinds.

“I get ‘Amazing Grace’ a lot. ‘Over the Rainbow’ is a very popular one. ‘Hallelulah’ is a popular one as well. For my Italian patients I get ‘O Sole Mio’,” she said.

Performing for patients is relatively new for Popova but it is especially important for her around the holidays.

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“It absolutely is the best Christmas present I can give myself, it is pure pure joy that you see in people’s faces,” she said.