A long time ago, a young man joined a high school choir.
From that moment forward, he found the drive, the passion that would shape his life. His entire identity, his joy came from singing opera.
Albert Garcia nurtured his talent, studied opera, and performed at various gigs, his voice soaring through the hearts of listeners. But then fate dealt him a devastating blow when he was diagnosed with spinal damage that had accumulated over a decade, necessitating surgery.
The surgery took a toll on his vocal cords, leading to vocal cord paralysis on the right side. Albert explained, “Because of where the damage was and how close it was to the vocal cords – and just how fragile the vocal cords are themselves – with that surgery, the nerve connecting to my vocal cords got stretched and so that caused vocal paralysis on the right side.” The diagnosis hit him “like a brick wall,” and he fell into a deep state of depression as music, his refuge, was temporarily snatched away.
Albert Garcia following his spinal surgery. Photo courtesy of Garcia
Vocal cord paralysis disrupts nerve impulses to the larynx, making speaking and breathing difficult. Luckily, it can be treated with therapy. Albert’s journey to recovery began with a physical therapist to regain his strength. Then, he found hope in the form of Dr. Marina-Elvira Papangelou, a speech-language pathologist at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston.
Through Dr. Papangelou’s expertise and his unwavering determination, Albert regained his ability to sing after nearly a year of therapy. “He has made a tremendous change. He has learned to breathe properly again, to bring his pitch down and focus his voice.” The bond between them was extraordinary, and the song he chose to perform for her reflected its significance.
The lyrics from “For Good” in the musical “Wicked” resonated deeply with Albert, who explained, “‘It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime. So let me say before we part, so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart.'”
That, I feel like, is the exact relationship I had with my speech therapist because I just learned so much from her.”
With overwhelming gratitude, Albert presented Dr. Papangelou with a plaque inscribed with the poignant lyrics. Tearfully, he expressed, “You’ve not only changed my life, but you’ve also given back what I thought I was never going to get. So, thank you so much.”
A plaque given to Dr. Marina-Elvira Papangelou by Albert Garcia. Photo from YouTube
Dr. Papangelou humbly deflected the credit, acknowledging that it was Albert’s perseverance and hard work that brought about his incredible recovery. She said, “I think that I made a difference in his life, but I don’t think it was me. I think it was him because he did all of the work.”
With speech therapy behind him Albert’s next destination was the stage. He reflected on his ongoing recovery, saying, “I may not be back to what I was 100%, but as long as I’m getting better and better, that’s all that really matters.”
His triumphant return to stage marked the final act in his year-long recovery. And Papangelou, no longer his doctor, fulfilled her newest role: a member of the audience.
Watch below for a look at this amazing friendship.
