Daniel’s Music: One Family’s Journey from Tragedy to Empowerment through Faith, Medicine, and the Healing Power of Music

In 1997, Daniel Trush, a bright, active, outgoing twelve-year-old, collapsed on the basketball court and fell into a deep coma. Rushed to the hospital, he was found to have five previously undetected aneurysms in his brain. One had burst, causing a massive cerebral hemorrhage. While Daniel remained comatose, the uncontrolled pressure inside his skull caused him to suffer multiple strokes. Tests showed that his brain functions had flat-lined, and doctors would soon tell his parents his chances of survival were slim to none-or that he’d likely remain in a vegetative state. But the doctors were wrong. Daniel’s traumatic injury did not bring his life to a premature end. Thirty days after lapsing into a coma, he would return to consciousness, barely able to blink or smile. Two years later, he took his first extraordinary steps out of a wheelchair. A decade after being sped to the emergency room, Daniel Trush completed the New York Marathon. But his incredible journey into the future had just begun. With music having played a crucial role in his recovery, Danny and his family launched Daniel’s Music Foundation, a groundbreaking nonprofit organization for people with disabilities. In time DMF would be honored on a Broadway stage by the New York Yankees, gaining notoriety and admiration across America. Daniel’s Music is the gripping story of Daniel’s recovery against odds experts said were insurmountable; of medical science, faith, and perseverance combining for a miracle; and of an average family turning their personal trials into a force that brings joy, inspiration, and a powerful sense of belonging to all those whose lives they touch.