Hospitals can feel cold and frightening, especially for people who are sensitive to noise, bright lights, or too much activity. For many autistic people, these spaces can feel even more overwhelming. But there is this thoughtful seventeen-year-old boy, Sachin Reddy, who has been bringing comfort in a very gentle and special way, through music.
Sachin is a volunteer at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, the hospital in which he was born. At first, Sachin performed simple, daily tasks to meet patients’ needs. For example, he handed out warm blankets, assisted with post-surgery recovery, and organized paperwork. Not large in scale, but with kindness as his primary goal. Both of his parents are doctors, so he has always been able to see how they care for their patients.
One day, he noticed the big baby grand piano sitting quietly in the hospital lobby. Sachin has played piano since he was four, and he knows how much music helped him during hard times , especially when his father had a heart attack two years ago. He said music helped him calm his mind and understand his emotions. So he asked if he could play, and when he did, the whole three-story lobby filled with sound. People stopped, listened, and some even cried softly because the music touched their hearts.
That moment pushed him to create a small group called Rhythm of Hope, inviting musicians of all ages to bring comfort wherever they can.
A Heart Focused on Autistic People
One of the most significant parts of Sachin’s work is his connection with the autistic community. He helps at the Nevada School for the Arts’ Spectrum Arts program, where he joined a pilot study exploring how music can support autistic individuals with emotional regulation.
Many autistic children and adults experience the world differently; sounds may feel louder, emotions harder to organize, and busy spaces more stressful. Music can give calmness without demanding words or explanations. Sachin says he has seen autistic people respond instantly: shoulders relaxing, breathing slowing, or faces brightening with comfort.
Families told him their loved ones remained calmer long after the music ended. Some said it gave their children a peaceful space in a world that often feels too fast and too loud.
Sachin also teaches elementary piano basics at The Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada (DSOSN) with a few students being on the autism spectrum. An example of this is when one young woman was so excited and focused in class that he was able to help facilitate an arrangement for a donated piano to be placed in her home. He believes every autistic person deserves access to things that bring joy, peace, and pride.
Music as Another Form of Healing
Sachin is a straight-A senior applying to prominent universities like Yale and the University of California. He hopes to become a doctor someday, maybe in cardiology or immunology. But even with those big dreams, he says music will always be part of him, mainly because of the impact he has seen in autistic communities.
Every time he sits at that shiny black hospital piano, he reminds us that healing doesn’t only come from medicine. Sometimes it comes from gentle notes that help an overwhelmed mind feel safe, understood, and steady again.
A Gentle Note for Our Las Vegas Community
Sachin’s story serves as a reminder to many people of the positive impact that calmness, support, and understanding can have on autistic children and adults who are navigating a world designed by others (and often not). Similarly to music provides comfort within the confines of a busy hospital environment, so does an appropriate form of guidance & care for Autistic loved ones in daily life as well.
If you or someone you love could use that kind of steady support, Nevada Autism Center is here. We offer ABA therapy that focuses on growth, connection, and creating moments of peace, just like the music that helped so many people in this story.
You’re welcome to reach out whenever you’re ready. We’re here to help families find calm, confidence, and hope.
