Miss America 2019 Visits Duke Children’s

On August 12th, Miss America 2019, Nia Franklin, arrived at Duke Children’s Hospital to meet some of her fans and give a performance of healing. Ms. Franklin, in partnership with Sing for Hope, donated a piano to provide music to the children’s hospital for years to come. The piano décor is inspired by George’s Aquarium located in the Children’s Health Center.

Prior to the piano dedication, Ms. Franklin spent the morning meeting pediatric patients in the playroom, playing music, painting cars, and letting children try on her tiara. At the piano dedication she sang an original composition about love, providing inspiration to patients, families, and staff.

As a native of Winston-Salem, Ms. Franklin herself was a donor at Duke for her father’s bone marrow transplant. She talked about how this experience with her father, weaving in her love for music and its healing power, felt very full circle for her personally.

Duke Children’s is incredibly grateful for this donation and the time that Ms. Franklin spent at Duke Children’s. The hospital will be scheduling volunteers to continue inspiring the patients and families of Duke Children’s on our new piano.