Girls become best friends, write song while undergoing cancer treatment together
PHOENIX - Being in the hospital is never fun and can get lonely, but two young girls going through cancer treatment at the same time have struck up a friendship.
"I don't have a lot of other friends in the hospital," said Lizzie Groth.
But one friend, in particular, is now one of her best.
11-year-old Lizzie Groth, who is in maintenance for her acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and 10-year-old Ariah Price, who is being treated for her muscle tumor, became fast friends after meeting earlier this year during their stay at Cardon Children's Medical Center.
"They were both not feeling really well, they were forced into it, like let's go play, let's get out of our room," said Tiffany Price, Ariah's mother.
Both are now happy they did. Their typical hospital treatments have now become fun. The two even wrote a song about their friendship in Sophie's Place with their music therapist Olivia.
"We had done other stuff so we were like why don't we go down to the music room and then we started making a song," said Lizzie. "It was maybe 15 or 20 minutes, that's how long it took," said Ariah.
The song is about how they met and what they like and dislike about the hospital. The girls love singing together, doing crafts and just hanging out being normal kids.
While cancer may be their common bond, they have found an even stronger connection through music.
"I know for us it was an answer to Lizzie's prayers," said Laura Groth, Lizzie's mother. "She prayed for a friend to find in the hospital, somebody that would understand what was going on. I know it gives her a huge sense of anticipation if she knows Ariah is going to be there."
"I think it's definitely something that boosted them because when I'm like we have to go to the hospital she's like is Lizzie going to be there? I say yea, they're going to stop by and then it's like ok," says Tiffany.
Now when one of the girls goes into the hospital the other will still go visit. They also hang out outside of the hospital. One of their favorite things to do is go to lunch.