Gail Hatchard probably didn’t expect to have a hit song on her hands, but at least in one part of Canada … she does. A story this week in the Chronicle Herald of Nova Scotia tells of how Ms. Hatchard penned a poem one night about her granddaughter, Katie, who has spinal muscular atrophy. She took it to her friend, Janice Sheridan, who put it to music. Ms. Sheridan later took the song to a recording studio … and the rest is history.

Ms. Sheridan put the words to music and the song was recorded at the Riverview Digital Recording Studio in Bear River, with studio owner Blair Cromwell on guitar.

The first 500 CDs sold quickly and only 175 remain of the second batch of 500.

If they continue to sell well, a corporate sponsor will be sought for the next batch. Fifty were also shipped and sold in Ontario. All proceeds go toward research for finding a cure for the disease.

“I’m very pleased,” Mrs. Hatchard said about the poem. “It’s gone beyond my wildest expectations. I had no idea it would be so well-received.”

She added, “It’s amazing to me that those simple little words went so far.”

Mrs. Hatchard said the money isn’t much compared to the millions required to find a cure.

“But it’s our little part.”

Visit the Chronicle Herald website to read the entire story, and learn how you can order your own copy of the CD.