BILLINGS — Music therapy is healing Montanans in powerful ways.
One Billings couple who turned to music to cope with tragedy and trauma last year are sharing their story, in hopes of inspiring others to persevere even in the darkest times.
See the Fievets reunite with their caregivers, including their music therapist, for the first time:
For Erika and Zack Fievet, healing wasn't just a physical process. It was through music that the married couple was able to overcome a pain that medicine couldn't cure.
"It was day by day. If we could get through today then we can get through tomorrow," Erika Fievet said as she recounted the last year.
Erika and Zack's marriage story took a turn in December after two years of marriage. On Dec. 6, Zack was working on a large semi trailer when the brakes of the vehicle suddenly released, rolling him over.
"Things happened so fast. I just couldn't get out of the way," said Zack on Wednesday. "They had me loaded in the ambulance... in 14 minutes, and after that, I don't remember a thing until I woke up six days later."
The accident resulted in a fractured pelvis, collapsed lung, spinal fracture, and blood loss. Zack was immediately sent to the emergency room at St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings, where he underwent three surgeries and spent six weeks healing.
"I'll be honest, if I had to pick him out of a crowd, I would have no idea," said Dr. Barry McKenzie, the hospital's trauma medical director. "To have the type of fractures he had to his pelvic bones, it takes a lot of force to do that."
McKenzie said overall, hundreds of healthcare professionals were involved with Zack's recovery, including nurses, surgeons, paramedics, the hospital's chaplain, and the hospital's music therapist, Brooke Wagner.
"We as caregivers sometimes forget the other half of the individual. How are they doing mentally? Where are they spiritually? How are they doing emotionally?" said McKenzie.
Wagner stepped into the picture a few days after Zack was admitted to the hospital. As Zack recovered, Wagner would often play him classic country music, including songs by George Strait.
"It reminds them that they're not just a patient in a hospital bed. That they, you know, have a favorite singer and a favorite song, and a life outside of the hospital," said Wagner.
According to Wagner, music can be healing both physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
"You can just see, you know, their body relax, heart rate comes down, respirations slow down. Sometimes, even oxygenation will increase, which really contributes to the overall health of a patient," Wagner said.
Wagner would play a vital role in Zack and Erika's recovery throughout the death of their infant, as well.
On Dec. 16, Zack underwent his third surgery while staying at St. Vincent. It was when staff at the hospital were prepping him for surgery, that Erika began to start experiencing contractions.
"He went into surgery. I was a couple floors away having our son, and he was born an hour after I got down to labor and delivery," said Erika.
Erika gave birth to her son, Brooks Fievet, 23 weeks into her pregnancy. He weighed less than two pounds and measured to be less than a foot.
Erika said she had an abnormal pregnancy, which is why she gave birth to Brooks so early. Before his birth, Erika learned she had a chronic abruption, which caused her placenta to detach from her uterine wall.
For two weeks, Brooks fought for his life in the NICU before eventually passing away on Dec. 30 from necrotizing enterocolitis, according to Erika.
Before Brooks passed away, staff at the hospital arranged a meeting between him and his dad.
"Definitely not the way you want to meet your son. But, I got to hold his hand," said Zack.
Zack was transported to a rehabilitation hospital shortly after his third surgery, and he was eventually released in mid-January.
After 10 months, Erika and Zack look back at the situation with both gratitude and despair. While the two terribly miss their son, they say it's also made them more appreciative of life and their loved ones.
"If you asked me a month after everything, my outlook on everything would've been wildly different," said Erika. "But, after being able to meet with staff and go through the events over and over, I have a whole new outlook on life... Although everything that happened to us was terrible, we're stronger for it."
Zack felt the same, saying, "We don't take anything for granted... I don't think there was a single day in that hospital room that I didn't have somebody there by my side."
