Tom Vaaler has always loved music.

Having grown up in a family of eight, he sang in church choir and also for the Nordic Choir at Luther College when he was a student.

Several years ago, as Vaaler's mother began suffering the results of dementia, he noticed that the one thing she seemed to respond well to were hymns of the church. Says Vaaler, "It seemed that finding some ways to bring these hymns back to Mom made sense." With the help of two friends, he created this recording of some of his mother's favorites.

Vaaler's mother spent her last days in a care center. He sent a copy of the taped hymns to the center. "The tape was played as Mom and other patients gathered for Bible study, and they joined in singing."

Soon others were using the tape with their loved ones. A copy ended up in the hands of John Lee, whose father was Vaaler's mother's cousin. Lee's father was also in declining health when the hymns were played for him. "This tape was playing as he drew his last breath," Vaaler explains. “Soon after, John called as we were planning a family reunion and asked if he could duplicated the music and make it available for others wanting to provide comfort for their elderly family members.” Permission was granted and since then these recordings have been a source of comfort and inspiration to many people. "In one case, the nursing staff at an elderly center was able to reduce an individual's pain medication because of the comfort the hymns brought," Vaaler says.