Annalee Hughes Gives a Very Special Holiday Concert

Christmas hasn't even arrived, but Tolland's Hughes-Lucek family is certainly feeling the holiday magic. 

"This has just been incredible," said Susan Lucek, who received her Christmas gift a few weeks early: her 12-year-old daughter Annalee stood up and performed in the Trinity Covenant Church's “Good Tidings of Great Joy" holiday concert. 

For Annalee, who has cerebral palsy, to be able to stand up and sing “The First Noel” with the choir was simply amazing.

With assistance from a special chair and a successful surgery, Annalee, who has always loved to sing, was on stage and on the same level with other people for the first time in many years.

And for Lucek and the rest of her family, seeing Annalee's joy and independence over the last few months have been the best Christmas gifts of all.

Prior to the surgery to correct scoliosis that Lucek said is likely linked to Annalee’s cerebral palsy condition, it was difficult for the girl to be held upright. The surgery gave her the ability to sit up and allowed her better breath support, which vastly improved her singing abilities.

Feeling confident after the surgery, Annalee looked for a way to share her musical talents. Tolland school district's nursing coordinator, Christine Grulke, a good friend of Annalee's, said that the seventh-grader asked about the Trinity Covenant Church concert since she knew Grulke had performed in the concert, which draws performers from numerous local churches.

Grulke said she spoke with the concert's director, and next thing she knew Annalee auditioned and became the youngest member of the enormous choir.

"I'm not sure who had more of a good time, her or everybody else who was in contact with her," Grulke said.

Every week, Grulke picked up Annalee in the specially modified van that Grulke had to learn how to maneuver, for the rehearsals at Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester.

During the rehearsals, as well as in physical therapy sessions, Grulke said that Annalee built up her ability to use the stander, special equipment that would support her frame during the concert.

"We had her stand for a period of time and for periods of rest to rest her thigh muscle," Grulke said.

The group rehearsed the music for the five, two-hour long concerts given at RHAM High School in the middle of December. Annalee sang at three of them, taking time to rest during the other two, which caused some concern for her many new friends in the chorus.

"Everybody is walking in and looking at me and said is something wrong?" Grulke recalled during those two concerts Annalee missed. (The two stood next to each other during the rehearsals and performances.)

"People would just come over and talk to her," Lucek said. "She knows many more of them than I do. They totally embraced her."

Annalee, who was a member of the alto section, added that she became very close to her fellow choir members.

"They're my family now," she said recently.

Grulke said that the concert was an important step for Annalee and was a great experience as they traveled, rehearsed, sang and even applied make-up together for the shows.

"I just thanked Susan for sharing Annalee," she said. "It's not easy to give up your daughter to somebody. I was very appreciative of that gift."

"The journey all the way has been amazing," Lucek said. "It's a gift."