Musician Jesse Norell is using music as an outlet to talk about his daughterâs medical struggles.
âAlyssa was the big inspiration for the record,â Jesse Norell told âGood Morning Americaâ about his album titled âAorta Borealis.â
According to âGood Morning America,â at only five months old, Alyssa had her first heart surgery.
âWe found out on the day she was born that she had down syndrome, that she had a heart defect,â Jesse shared.
Continuing, Jesse explained the meaning of his album title, âAorta Borealis,â which he said âmakes a reference to the heart and it makes a reference to the Northern Lights.â
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âThe heart stuff is a prominent on the record because sheâs surviving heart surgeries and then Borealis makes a reference to the Northern Lights and the Northern Lights are something you can only see when itâs dark,â he said.
Jesse goes on to share that he felt like he had to talk about âthe darker partsâ of their story âbecause that makes the end of the record where weâre talking about Family and the joy of staying together and having each other.â
Speaking of the album, he said, âIt makes it that much brighter.â
Life is so unexpected but Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, âTrust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.
According to âGood Morning America,â in the beginning, Jesse had a hard time processing his daughterâs Health issues.
âMy sonâs birthday was so joyous. I had all these feelings of like this intense love. And I expected time number two to just be all joy like the first time was,â he said.
However, Jesse admits that he âwas filled with all of these mixed feelings.â
This inspired his first song on the album titled, âWhat to tell you,â which he says he âdidnât sugarcoat any of it.â
âI wanted to put out all the feelings that I had on that day and part of that is trying to let other parents know in the same situation that itâs okay to have all these big feelings,â he said.
Speaking of what he believes his daughters reaction will be to the album, Jesse said, âFor Alyssa, I think when sheâs older and she hears that, I think sheâs going to understand the love and the joy on the second half of the record.
âOur Family story had some rough stuff in it and we came through and thatâs worth celebrating,â he concluded.
