Cookie Bannon is a singer-songwriter who divides her time between singing for the young patients at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and representing the hospital in the community.

Her role as a music-activity therapist began in 1975, when she worked at OSF as an activity therapy assistant. During that time, she began singing bedside to adult patients in the intensive care unit. After a six-year absence to begin a family, Bannon returned to OSF in 1984.

Bannon has recorded seven albums; her current release is accompanied by the book The Other Side of the Bed, in which she shares the stories behind the music. All proceeds from the sale of her albums benefit the Children’s Hospital.

Bannon has three children and lives in Peoria.

Tell us how you first came to be called "Cookie."

My given name is actually Patricia Ann. However, when God created my very fat cheeks, He knew my nickname would eventually be a hit at the bedside of hospitalized children. My parents’ inspiration to call me "Cookie" stuck like glue. If you were a child in the hospital and a woman walked into your room with a guitar, which name might bring a smile to your face: Pat…or Cookie?

Tell us about your current position with Children’s Hospital of Illinois. How has your position evolved since you first began your association with Children’s Hospital of Illinois?

As the community representative for Children’s Hospital of Illinois, I divide my time between singing at the bedside and speaking at public engagements. Since accepting this position in 1990, I can say "routine" isn’t a prominent word in my vocabulary. My schedule changes, sometimes on an hourly basis.

My greatest passion has always been singing to my patients, yet I’ve come to a point in my career that may be leading me to a road less traveled. Telling the story about Children’s Hospital gives me an incredible sense of pride. Sharing the mission of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis makes a difference in peoples’ lives. I’m honored to perpetuate their legacy.

It isn’t written in my job description that I sing to children of all ages, yet I do-the youngest being less than an hour old, the most mature, four days shy of her 100th birthday. It doesn’t determine where, when, or to whom I sing, although children are my favorite audience.

When I’m traveling through the hallways of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and Children’s Hospital, saying "no" to a request for a song is almost impossible. I met two grown men in an elevator one day on my way to pediatrics. One commented with a determined voice, "We really need a song."

With a giggle and a wink I replied, "Well, usually I only sing for those under four feet tall." Both men immediately dropped to their knees, pleading with me to sing for their mother. When the elevator door opened, the direction of my path led me to the woman they adored. The moment is tucked in the scrapbook of my heart.

You do a lot of public speaking. What topics do you speak on? Was public speaking difficult for you at first?

The mission of Children’s Hospital is the core of my presentation. Statistics can be revealed through pamphlets. Stories, however, evoke emotions. Emotions inspire the possibility of a desire to contribute. Contributing to a cause makes a difference. St. Francis of Assisi understood clearly that it’s in giving that we receive. Children tug at our hearts. Suffering children rearrange them.

I speak from my heart about making a difference through music, but I’m a representative for every employee associated with Children’s Hospital. Without each other, we’re nothing. The combined talents of every person are crucial for positive results in challenging situations. As a team, we thrive on being supportive of each other.

When it comes to public speaking, I’m still shaky and fretful. In 1990, when I began this part of my career, my biggest challenge was a mock presentation for several administrators and managers. I was convinced being critiqued by them would ultimately be my most embarrassing moment. I was wrong. With a little guidance, I was on my way. Within a year, I was presenting programs for clubs, organizations, schools, and churches.

Tell how you came to work for OSF Saint Francis and Children’s Hospital. Was this something you always intended for your career, or did you fall into it?

I fell, all right, and my life has never been the same. Seeking a job in 1975, I filled out an application at OSF Saint Francis. Two small boxes in the lower right corner of the application followed this question: Do you have any talents? I penciled in the box under the "yes" column, and then wrote this comment next to it in small letters: "I play the guitar and sing…a little."

That comment was my ticket to being hired as an activity therapy assistant in rehabilitation. My patients were adults with spinal cord injuries. Music became part of the activities I planned for my patients and their families. My eyes were opened to the pain that comes when life changes in the blink of an eye. I learned a lot about perseverance during those three years. In 1978, after the birth of my second child, Kevin, I made the decision to stay home with my babies. My daughter, Elaine, was 11 months old.

In July 1984, my former boss, Paula Stevenson, called my home. When the telephone rang, I was on my knees in my living room, praying that God would give me a chance to do something that would make a difference. I was divorced with three children: Elaine, seven; Kevin, six; and Maureen, five. I was a stay-at-home mom, running a day care for five additional children under age of seven. When Paula asked if I would be interested in a part-time position, I jumped at the chance.

Again, I was hired as an activity therapy assistant, this time providing activities for adult hemodialysis patients. Imagine being hooked up to a dialysis machine with a huge needle in your arm, three days a week for approximately four hours at a time, to survive. Those patients are courageous. They taught me to appreciate my health.

Six months later, Paula informed me I was needed in the activity therapy room in pediatrics for 10 days. I protested, "I took this job to get away from little kids. These patients need me; I need them. God wants me to work with adults!" The following morning I began the sweetest "10 days" of my life. I never left pediatrics. That was 19 years ago.

Your gift of music has impacted hundreds-perhaps thousands-of lives. To what do you attribute your intuitive nature in dealing with children and adults?

First and foremost: God. I attended TEC #2 (Teens Encounter Christ) at King’s House in Henry when I was 17. Although the roots of my faith had been established throughout my childhood, that weekend was my first indication that God had a plan for my life. 

One of the talks was titled "Signs." From that day forward, I have counted on signs. For example, when I prayed for a chance to do something that would make a difference, the phone call from Paula Stevenson was a sign.

My human, adamant choices to ignore some of the most evident signs in my life resulted in many of my greatest disappointments. In other words, choosing my way caused pain not only for me, but even more so for those I love the most. I believe signs are available to all of us. They come in many forms. For me, the choice to follow them has made the difference between miracles and misery.

Finishing second, by the narrowest of margins: my parents, Ted and Rosemary Bannon. They met each other on D-Day, June 6, 1944. As a couple, they were strong, speaking with a united voice as they dedicated their lives to God, each other, and their children. Raising 10 daughters and one son had its challenges, but they provided us with the gift of constancy.

My childhood was filled with an array of beautiful experiences, simple delights, and, of course, typical ups and downs. I learned to share at an early age. It never crossed my mind that having my own room or my own bed could possibly be as sweet as snuggling up at night with one of my younger sisters. Being surrounded by love throughout my life prepared me for my lifework.

Your son’s accident three years ago had a dramatic impact on your family. Share with us what you’re able to regarding community support, your personal strength, etc.

My immediate family, close friends, extended family at OSF Saint Francis, Children’s Hospital of Illinois, and this generous community were my inspiration to write The Other Side of the Bed.

On July 20, 2000, at 4:19 a.m., I received the phone call with the tragic details of Kevin’s accident. I had been on a leave of absence due to some health issues. I was looking forward to my first day back on July 30. Plans change. I was needed at the bedside of a very important child…my only son.

Friends and co-workers from OSF Saint Francis and Children’s Hospital donated more than 500 hours of their personnel time so I could remain at the bedside of my child the first seven weeks.

The following words are excerpted from The Other Side of the Bed: "On the evening of Nov. 15, 2000, my son pushed himself through the doorway of our home, a place he had never seen. It was a sanctuary provided for us by a miraculous community of countless gift-givers, some within reach, many unseen. St. Francis of Assisi said, ’It is in giving that we receive.’ It has been almost impossible for me to take my feelings of sincere gratitude from my heart to my hand. My life has been blessed abundantly. With a spirit of charity, not a detail left undone, an empty house was molded into a home blessed by selflessness. There are no words big enough in the dictionary to express my thanks to everyone who spread their wings and folded their hands for us…you know who you are. May God bless you…abundantly."

Tell about your newest CD and your first book.

My first book, The Other Side of the Bed, includes 12 short stories revealing the circumstances, emotions, and the background that inspired 12 original songs on the CD. The two will be sold as a package benefiting Children’s Hospital. Eight songs, "Friends," "Miracle Child," "More like Children," "He Called Me By Name," "The Place is Here," "Count Your Cookies," "Someday-Somehow," and "The Thumb Song," have been included on my previous albums. However, each has been given new life, in ways I never could have imagined.

Four additional songs include "One Regret," "Dancing with Jesus," "Jack," and the song which inspired this entire project, "Every Day." I wrote "Every Day" for my son, Kevin, 10 days before he came home from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in November 2000.

Has there been a particular person or event that’s had the most impact on your life?

I have no doubt that Kevin’s accident was the event that had the most impact on my life. Hundreds-perhaps thousands-have impacted my music, however. 

In the infancy of my ministry with OSF Saint Francis, I felt inferior in the presence of many of the physicians, one in particular. Every time he entered a patient’s room while I was singing, I literally stopped in the middle of a phrase.

Always believing his time was more precious than mine, I stopped out of sheer respect. In my eyes, he was a hero-impeccable, irreplaceable, and admired by his patients. I thought my music didn’t hold a candle to what he did every day, until he said these words to me as he entered the room while I was singing in pediatric intensive care: "Don’t stop singing; don’t stop your music when I come into a room. Keep up the good work." Dr. Dale Geiss, cardiovascular surgeon, impacted my life and my heart that day.

How have the effects of your music been accepted through the years by families? By physicians? By hospital administrations?

After almost 20 years of singing at OSF Saint Francis, my fingers and toes might number those families who totally rejected my efforts to share music at the bedside. Otherwise, I’ve been welcomed by curious facial expressions, giggles, applause, tears, and, of course, men falling to their knees.

To be honest, only one physician ever questioned the value of my calling. He considered me to be a "worthless broad carrying a guitar," standing in the way of saving patients’ lives. I kept on signing anyway. We both fell in love with the same two-year-old, then wept together when he died. I remained strong and sang for his funeral, and Doc experienced what the Greek call "metanoia": a change of heart.

Do you know of anyone else who does what you do?

To the best of my knowledge, this is a unique assignment. Over the years, we’ve had contact with many of the major children’s hospitals in the United States, and none have a comparable position. I think this shows the willingness of Children’s Hospital of Illinois to be innovative in meeting the needs of hospitalized children.

What gives you the most satisfaction?

Keeping the faith. Never giving up. Being strong enough to say "no," happy to say "yes." Forgiving those who have hurt me. Forgiving myself for those I’ve hurt. Forgetting pain, remembering joy. Being a humble servant. Remaining grateful for being served. Getaways with my spouse. Uninterrupted time with my children. Walking on the beach with my sisters. Private conversations with my brother. Sitting on the porch swing with my mom. Memories of my dad. The promise of heaven.

How do you deal with the inevitable stress that comes along with the job?

I pray. I sing anyway. I don’t stop in the middle of a song because I’m needed. I work out four days a week. Every once in awhile, I simply "take a Cookie break." I thank God for the ability to get up in the morning, put my feet on the floor, and feel them. Every time I see Kevin, I’m reminded that God will give me the grace to deal with the inevitable stress that comes with everything. That’s life. Life is good.

What’s next in your career? Are there things you haven’t accomplished yet, but would like to?

If becoming a grandmother is considered an accomplishment, that takes first place on my list. I’ve raised three unique children; I’m unable to express the magnitude of my pride in them. They’ve been my greatest cheerleaders, my sweetest blessings.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve sung for important events in the lives of my patients. These have included 18 baptisms; seven confirmations; 28 high school, grade school, and kindergarten graduations; eight weddings; and more than 30 birthday parties. I’ve been auctioned off to the highest bidder for donations to Children’s Hospital and blessed to sing to babies waiting to be born as their mothers tolerate complete bed rest. I’ve been overwhelmed with awe when performing a lullaby for a 15-ounce premature infant and humbled while serving as the troubadour singing little ones toward heaven. To entertain young patients, I’ve done everything from creating the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" rap song, to standing on my head as a ploy for a smile, to placing a whoopee cushion on a rocking chair just in time for Dr. William Albers to sit on it.

While central Illinois has been where most of my performances have taken place, my music ministry has taken me to California, Florida, Nashville, and even Hong Kong. TPW