Melissa Sherman, a clinical services associate, waited in anticipation for the results of the season finale of The Voice. Surrounding the TV, Sherman, accompanied by friends and family, sat silently in the show’s final moments. “The winner of The Voice…is Cam Anthony!” The watch party jumped from their seats, cheering and crying as they watched Cam walk through the pouring confetti to take his trophy. Sherman could not be more proud of her 19-year-old son, the winner of the hit singing competition.
In between Cam’s performances on live TV each week in California, singing songs like Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Sherman and her team were rooting for him on the 20th floor of Penn Medicine Washington Square. “My floor was so supportive. If Cam called during my lunch time, people would talk to him and boost his confidence,” said Sherman. “They even surprised me with a banner up on our floor for his win. It was a wonderful atmosphere.”
Singing runs in the family as Sherman grew up performing at her church and school. “When Cam was born, and I found out he liked to sing, I taught him everything I knew from my father,” said Sherman.
As a clinical services associate, Sherman finds that her skills and lessons learned from being a singer and mother have applied to her work with patients. While providing care for patients and comforting them, like she would for her children, Sherman’s background in singing has influenced the way she interacts with patients. “You sing a certain way or hit a certain note to express how you’re feeling through song,” Sherman said. Through careful listening, Sherman can recognize how a patient is feeling based on the tone of their voice and the way they express their thoughts.
Since winning The Voice, Cam has appeared in TV and radio interviews, sharing the talent he acquired from his family with the world. “He’s such a young kid and he has this wow factor,” said Sherman. “It’s fulfilling to see him with this gift and become the person he is today.”