On December 27, 2025, the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department No. 104 at Nanjing Zijin Hospital was filled with soaring voices and resounding applause. The department’s inaugural “Strong Voices of Life” singing competition unfolded in a heartwarming atmosphere, as five patients used music to showcase their resilience and hope on the road to recovery.

The event was chaired by Director Duan Yanwei of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department. He stated, “Music is a balm for the soul; singing not only strengthens respiratory function and enhances cardiopulmonary capacity but also serves as an important means of emotional expression and psychological rehabilitation. We hope that through activities like this, patients will experience greater joy and hope throughout their recovery journey.”

At the event, five participating patients took to the stage one after another, performing songs such as “Only Mother Is Good in This World,” “The Yangtze Flows Eastward, Ever Rolling On,” and “Let Me Tell You Gently.” Though some patients had limited mobility, the emotional depth of their voices moved everyone in the audience. Some sang while seated in wheelchairs, with family members helping to hold the microphone; others joined in under the care of the head nurse. Each lyric reflected the small but meaningful progress they had made through months of rehabilitation training.

Vice President Wang Yifang of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, Director Ye Xianghong of the Nursing Department, and Director Liu Yafeng of the Jiangning Campus’s Department of General Medicine served as judges for the competition. They conducted a comprehensive evaluation based on pitch and rhythm, emotional expression, stage presence, and other factors, while placing particular emphasis on the patients’ rehabilitation progress and mental outlook demonstrated during their performances.

Vice President Wang Yifang shared after the event: “What we heard today was not just singing—it was the powerful, indomitable voice of life. Each patient standing here is demonstrating, through their actions, what true courage and resilience really mean. Their progress is the greatest source of satisfaction for our medical team.”

Director Ye Xianghong stated: “In our daily work, the nursing team has come to deeply appreciate that psychological rehabilitation is just as important as physical rehabilitation. Such activities can effectively alleviate patients’ psychological stress and bolster their confidence in recovery, serving as a valuable extension of medical and nursing care.”

Director Liu Yafeng added, “Rehabilitation after spinal cord injury is a long and systematic process that requires the concerted efforts of medical professionals, nurses, patients, and their families. What we are witnessing today is a vivid microcosm of the outcomes achieved through comprehensive rehabilitation therapy.”

At the end of the event, Vice President Wang Yifang, Director Ye Xianghong, Director Liu Yafeng, and a patient joined together to sing “Green Flower in the Military.”

The Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department of Nanjing Zijin Hospital has long been committed to a multidisciplinary collaborative approach, providing comprehensive and systematic rehabilitation care for patients with spinal cord injuries. The department not only focuses on restoring patients’ motor function and activities of daily living but also places equal emphasis on psychological rehabilitation and the reestablishment of social adaptability—addressing all aspects of their needs.

Following a warm and inspiring showcase, all participating patients received certificates of honor and thoughtfully prepared rehabilitation gifts from the department. This “Vibrant Voices of Life” singing competition marked an innovative step in fostering a culture of rehabilitation within the department. Moving forward, the department will continue to organize diverse rehabilitation‑related activities, creating a positive, hopeful environment that empowers spinal cord injury patients to regain confidence and compose their own symphony of life.