Cancer Survivor Dances Through Cohen Children's Medical Center

Mover over, Patch Adams. A 13-year-old cancer survivor joyously danced her way through Cohen Children's Medical Center while famed New York photographer Jordan Matter recorded the entire experience.

Stephanie Consiglio, of Glendale, Queens, was a patient at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park when she was 11 years old in 2015. She was treated and cured of germ cell tumors in her pelvis.

As a lover of dance, she never missed a practice even while getting treatment. "The doctors say today that dance saved my life," Consiglio said in Matter's video.

Consiglio teamed up with Matter on his Youtube series, "10 Minute Photo Challenge," to bring his most heartwarming video yet. Consiglio danced and leapt her way through the hospital, posing with patients and staff. She handed out toys and treats to the young patients, played in a rock band and even let the kids splatter her with paint.

“It was one of the most emotional and rewarding photo shoots of my career, and an experience I will never forget,” Matter said.

“This is a great example of a holistic approach to serious disease. Our doctors saw the importance of dance as one piece of the puzzle to Stephanie’s cure,” Charles Schleien, MD, executive director at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, said. “Through that and all the anti-cancer therapies she received, she is now cancer free and her road to survivorship looks clear. It’s a wonderful inter-disciplinary approach to illness!”

The video was posted on February 22 and has been viewed on Youtube more than 1.6 million times.

Watch it here:

Image via Northwell Health