Like many other readers of New York Magazine, I got teary when I saw David Amsden’s profile of Killian Mansfield, a 16-year-old ukulele player who died of cancer last August.
I cried not only because it was a touching story, but because I had been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Killian’s world two weeks before his death. While writing a story about him for the Woodstock Times, I had spoken with his parents, people from his musical circle, and had even corresponded with Killian over email. Though I didn’t get to meet him in person, his unique and positive outlook left a deep impression. When he passed away, it felt like I’d lost someone close to me.
Just before his death, Killian and producer Ralph Legnini had created “Somewhere Else.” A beautiful album sporting an impressive list of accomplished musicians, it became Amazon’s fourth bestselling album of the week, following Amsden’s article.
Most of Amsden’s piece is written in the present tense, which is fitting because Killian isn’t really gone. His exhausted body may be finished, but his message is is stronger than ever. Even when his tumor made speech difficult, he sent me an email stating that he was on this earth to “spread a message.” “When treating sick people,” said Killian, “you should not just concentrate on the physical body, but consider the mind and soul too.”
It’s this focus on holistic well being that inspired Killian to create “Somewhere Else,” an album that literally takes its listeners out of their bodies and into a better world. As Killian expressed in an email:
“I was fascinated the first time I got acupuncture with how effective it was to help me with pain and nausea. Medicines can get in the way of your social life – dance, yoga, martial arts, aromatherapy, acupuncture, massage… help you live more fully while you’re being treated. The choice factor is big with kids too. The medicines I had to take, but it was my choice to do the rest.”
During his time in various hospitals, Killian became an expert on alternative care. At most hospitals, these therapies were completely isolated from the traditional medical treatments. “He would have to pay extra or go to a different place to get treatment, or they wouldn’t give treatments to children, only adults,” says his mother, Barbara Mansfield. Even worse, sometimes the doctors and alternative practitioners would refuse to talk to each other.
Barbara was relieved to find that traditional medical care and alternative therapies were integrated at Columbia Presbyterian. Both sides knew exactly what the other was doing, and even learned from each other’s practices. True, doctors got upset when they found out a Chinese herb was used on Killian to stop his bleeding, but it was the only thing that worked, and once they found it was part of the program, the doctors switched their attitude and became interested in the herb.
Killian became the poster child for Columbia Presbyterian’s program. With the help of his loyal supporters far and wide, Killian spearheaded a foundation that promotes integrative therapies for children with life threatening diseases, just like the one at Columbia Presbyterian. All the proceeds from “Somewhere Else have gone toward this cause.
Killian didn’t like talking about his illness. He never read Barbara’s blog, which detailed his many bouts with the disease. Whenever the cancer took away another part of him, he always found a way to go “somewhere else.” When celebrity radio jockey Dom Imus invited Killian on his show, he had already lost much of his ability to speak, hear or use of his arm. For the first 30 seconds he was upset… but then something clicked, and he simply switched to calmly instructing his parents on how to best represent him. When I asked him to describe himself in five words, he chose, “quirky, supportive, strong, funny, ambidextrous,” ignoring any words describing his health. When asked if the illness had impacted his commitment to music, he wrote, “Absolutely!” then added, “It brought us to the Catskills, which brought me to Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camp, the high school orchestra, and all the other musician in this area that have influenced me.” Nothing about unjust deadlines, or anything.
