SouthCoast Cancer Patient Sings with Her Nurses and Oncologist

As an ICU physician assistant at Tobey and St. Luke's Hospitals, Kim Estes from Dartmouth knew the fight that she was in for when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Kim set the course for a three-part treatment.

First came the chemotherapy that caused her hair to fall out. The chemo was followed by surgery. The surgery was followed by more chemotherapy. Her final rounds of chemo do not cause alopecia, or hair loss.

Kim's hair started growing back during her latest rounds of chemo, and she cracked jokes about her hair constantly to one of her nurses, former Miss Massachusetts, Jillian Zucco. Kim was so excited about her hair growing back that she told Jillian that she wanted to write a song about her hair growing back.

Jillian thought about it, and agreed that there were many, many songs about things being back or coming back. Kim knew that Jillian could sing and asked her to sing a song if she'd write the lyrics. Jillian agreed.

Kim ended up creating a parody by rewriting the lyrics of several songs. Mitchell Cardoza, a friend and musician, put the medley together and edited the instrumental tracks. Kim sent Jillian the lyrics and the tracks. Jill finished writing the lyrics and put on the finishing touches.

The music and lyrics were brought to the Southcoast Center for Cancer Care where a  couple of nurses, Janet Tepolt of Tiverton, and Jane Baldwin of Fairhaven, and Dr. Susie Kim were brought in to record the video.