Finding Success Through Music
Babies normally begin speaking, using single or two-word phrases, between 12 to 18 months of age. For Milosz Gasior, that wasn’t the case. His mother, Bozena Gasior, became worried when Milosz was 18 months old and hadn’t made a peep. It wasn’t until Milosz was 2.5 years old that a pediatrician diagnosed him with autism.
“Looking back at home videos, we can see there was no eye contact,” Bozena said. “He wasn’t interested in the same things the other children were interested in.”
Bozena recalls being shocked with the diagnosis, stating that she truly felt helpless at first. But that feeling started to fade as progress started with small milestones, like Milosz making his first sound at 3.5 years old, after a year of speech therapy.
Throughout the years, Milosz had difficulty connecting with others his age. “He wouldn’t want to play with other children,” Bozena said. “He was constantly running away from everyone.” She often worried he wouldn’t feel a sense of belonging but then came music.
Before his eighth birthday, Milosz started learning to play the piano. He began with brief lessons that became longer as the years passed. With time, his love for music became even stronger. “Music calms him and grounds him in a very positive way,” Bozena said. “When he plays music, he truly belongs.”
Milosz Gasior's mother, Bozena Gasior, hopes his story inspires others.
He continued to develop his talent throughout the years. But during the summer of 2024 Bozena was having a hard time finding a place where Milosz, now 21, could perform music in the Tampa Bay area.
Bozena’s best friend, Aneta Budzinski, clinical operations manager at Moffitt Cancer Center, encouraged her to reach out to the CEO of the cancer center, Patrick Hwu, MD. Hwu, a musician himself, quickly responded to Bozena’s inquiry, welcoming Milosz with open arms.
Milosz now volunteers at Moffitt every Friday, playing the piano inside the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Outpatient Center at the McKinley Campus.
“Every time Milosz plays here, it gives us so much joy to hear from patients that they appreciate it,” Bozena said. “We can only imagine what the patients here go through and to hear from some of them that Milosz’s story and music is inspiring them is very humbling. We all need each other in life, and we can all help each other.”
Sometimes, team members like Dana Ataya, MD, a breast radiologist and vocalist with The ReMissions, will sing along with Milosz.
“Dr. Hwu and Dr. Ataya look at Milosz as a musician,” Bozena said. “They truly appreciate and understand what it means for Milosz to play, being musicians themselves. As medical professionals, they know all he had to overcome to get here, being able to focus and play song after song.”
Milosz looks forward to each performance. His most recent was in Washington D.C. at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, an experience Milosz and his loved ones will never forget.
Bozena hopes Milosz’s journey can be an inspiration to other parents whose child receives an autism diagnosis.
“I want them to know that they should not give up hope,” Bozena said. “There are many times that doors will be closed, but keep knocking, and eventually, doors will open.”
