Teen duets with Alex Aiono in Seacrest Studios

Moments, memories and one-of-a-kind experiences – that’s what happens inside Seacrest Studios. And the recent visit with singer-songwriter and YouTube extraordinaire Alex Aiono embodied all the reasons why Seacrest Studios exists. Kids who are hospitalized or come to the hospital for appointments or lengthy treatments no doubt miss out on life outside hospital walls while they’re here. And it’s our mission in Seacrest Studios to try to make up for that by offering them unique experiences to take away memories and moments they wouldn’t otherwise get to experience – like celebrity visits.

We’ve known Jireh for several years during his time at Children’s Health in Dallas. It’s been amazing getting to know him over the years of his treatment. His smile always beams no matter what he’s going through. We’ve seen his love for music grow from a hobby to an inspired pursuit writing his own music and finding his own sound. Jireh, now 18, performs in Seacrest Studios often doing covers and sharing originals. The week of his 18th birthday Alex Aiono, one of his favorite musicians, was coming through town on tour. Jireh asked us if we could invite Alex to the studio, and we’re so glad he did!

Alex was so excited to come to Seacrest Studios and meet Jireh and Meredith, 9, and several other kids who stopped by for selfies and autographs. The most special part of the visit was when Alex and his fan-turned-friend Jireh performed one of Alex’s songs together. Jireh had performed a cover of “Work the Middle” in studio before, but this time he got to do it as a duet with one of his favorite singers.

The duet was awesome, and it felt like they had practiced before the way they harmonized and took turns with the verses. And while the crowd enjoyed the musical performance, those who know Jireh, like his chaplain and Child Life team who came to watch, and the nurses and fellow patients who watched from the unit on the Red Balloon Network, knew just how special of an experience this was for him. 

Thank you, Alex Aiono, for bringing your joy and music to Seacrest Studios, and for making such a special experience for Jireh that we all got to share!