LEHI, Utah — Whether it’s making music in a recording studio or painting on canvas, kids at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi now have a space to find their spark and their strength.
The hospital opened Sophie’s Place, a therapy room built to support children physically, emotionally, and mentally through music, art, dance, and movement in Lehi on Wednesday. The first Sophie’s Place opened in Salt Lake City back in 2013. The location in Lehi is the ninth nationwide—and the largest one yet. It’s also the first location designed to combine all expressive therapies under one roof.
For 10-year-old Adele Storrs, the impact of music therapy is personal.
“I was sick, I couldn’t see my family, I was just with my mom, and I was really lonely,” Storrs said during the grand opening.
She was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia in 2022 and spent weeks undergoing chemotherapy at Primary Children’s Hospital. Music therapy became a light during a dark time.
“Sophie’s Place really gave me joy when I was down,” Storrs said.
On Wednesday, Storrs performed a Taylor Swift song at the grand opening in front of a crowd. Others sang and gave speeches.
Sophie’s Place offers young patients the chance to explore instruments, dance, sing, write songs, and create art — all while receiving medical care. The program is designed to address the emotional well-being of children during hospital stays.
"It’s really about making sure when kids are dealing with health care challenges that bring them in the hospital that we’re working preventively, not just reactively to address their emotional health while they’re in the hospital,” Spencer Hardy, a family support services director for Primary Children’s Hospital said.
The space is made to honor Sophie Barton, a 17-year-old Utah singer-songwriter who volunteered at Primary Children’s before she died unexpectedly during a hike in 2010. Her legacy lives on through the Forever Young Foundation, which helped bring the idea to life.
Hardy says people can support by donating new or gently used instruments, volunteering as musicians or event hosts, and giving online here.
“We’re always looking for everything from the littlest shaker that we could give to a baby, all the way up to ukuleles, we love how ukuleles are a really accessible thing — a kid could be lying in their bed and still be playing a ukulele,” Hardy said.
Because for kids like Storrs, even the smallest song can make a big difference.
