A tiny infant lies in a neonatal ward. Every breath is a struggle. Her underdeveloped heart beats erratically. All around her are other infants in distress - the monitors attached to them bleep in time with their struggle to live. Fear is on the faces of anxious parents hovering as close as possible.
Nurses scurry to and fro, dealing with crises every moment.
The peace and tranquility of their mothers' wombs is replaced with the whoosh and hiss of respirators, bleeping monitors, parents crying, nurses giving and receiving instructions. Even though these infants are not fully conscious of their surroundings, these sounds affect their ability to relax and sleep. And sleep is essential to helping them gain strength and live. In the midst of this, a harpist enters the ward. She begins to softly play an ancient lullaby.