The NHS saved my life - it would mean so much to me if our choir made No 1
A member of the London hospital choir hoping to beat Justin Bieber to Christmas No 1 says victory would be particularly special to her - because as well as working for the NHS, she owes it her life.
Physiotherapist Caroline Harbord was treated for Non-Hodgkin lymphona at University Hospital Lewisham, where she works, and has been in remission for nearly 10 years.
She sings alto in the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir, which is set to beat Justin Bieber and X Factor winner Louisa Johnson to No 1 with A Bridge Over You, a mash-up of Coldplay’s Fix You and Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Yesterday the choir’s charity single was only hundreds of sales behind Bieber’s Love Yourself — before the singer himself issued a call to his fans to buy the NHS song, tweeting a link to their download page and writing:
“So for 1 week it’s ok not to be #1. Let’s do the right thing & help them win. It’s Christmas. @Choir_NHS good luck.” Afterwards Coral bookmakers suspended bets on who would win.
Ms Harbord, 50, who has two children aged 14 and 17, said: “When I heard and went to his Twitter page and read it — I welled up a bit. I was quite touched.
"It was a bit overwhelming. Most of us are a little bit on the old side but some of us have kids that are Bieber fans. I think the kids are really excited now — if they are Bieber fans this is quite a big deal. We are all excited and happy and stunned.
“There are people saying how about we sing with Bieber sometime. That would be quite something — an NHS choir with Justin Bieber.”
Ms Harbord added: “The NHS saved my life so I owe it a huge amount — which is another reason why it’s so emotional for me to sing.
"I had massive tumours and it was in my bone marrow. It was very advanced. I had exceptional care under the Lewisham haematology team and they saved my life. I should actually be dead as stage four doesn’t have a good prognosis.
“I’ve just had my 50th birthday and it was a big milestone that I actually got there. I thought I’d be dead 10 years ago but I’m here to see my kids grow up. I’m very grateful and very lucky.”
Sales and streams of songs until midnight today will count towards the 2015 Official Christmas Singles Chart, announced tomorrow.
Proceeds from the choir’s single will be shared between charities including Carers UK and Mind.
