Girl said music helped her during chemo treatment

MESA, Ariz. (KSAZ) - On Thursday, eight-year-old Brittny Valenzuela, who is fighting a rare type of cancer, celebrated her last chemo treatment.

"She's done with her inpatient chemo, she's done with her inpatient chemo, she's done with her inpatient chemoooo...and we're so proud of her!" sang the people inside Valenzuela's hospital room at the Cardon Children's Medical Center in Mesa on Thursday, to the tune of "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow".

"It's a very good thing right now," said Dr. Santosh Hanmod. "She does not have any detectable disease."

It is perhaps fitting that Valenzuela had a singing send-off Thursday. She had nearly nine months of treatment, and said the thing the helped her the most in her Cancer battle, was music therapy.

"For the first three or four sessions, she didn't look at me," said Olivia Houck. She is a Music Therapist at the Medical Center, and Valenzuela worked with her since she began chemo treatments. "She covered her head with a blanket, wouldn't talk to me at all."

Despite that rocky start, it all changed one day.

"She saw me in the hallway and said that she wanted to sing to all the doctors and nurses and aides in the unit," said Houck.

And Valenzuela has not stopped since then. She said she sings to thank the hospital staff, for everything they do.

As for her favorite song? It's "Pray" by Justin Bieber.

"When I was a little kid, I loved Justin," said Valenzuela. "He was so cute."

Valenzuela said she is beating cancer by staying strong, being brave, and singing songs.

"It helps to distract yourself from the disease," said Dr. Hanmod, who went on to say that while Valenzuela is just eight years old, she knows all of her medications, all the dosages, and really takes care of herself.