Sugar City boy who learned to play the organ while recovering from brain surgery now plays for church congregation

Kobin prepares for room to region a cyst from his encephalon astatine Primary Children’s Hospital successful Salt Lake City. Following his operation, Korbin picked up organ lessons arsenic he recovered and coming nan accomplished 11-year-old often performs euphony specified arsenic “God beryllium pinch you ’til we meet again” successful Sugar City. | Courtesy photograph and video

SUGAR CITY – After undergoing encephalon room astatine conscionable 10 years old, Kobin Harris recovered himself pinch a batch of clip to heal and a predicament: What’s a boy to do for nosy erstwhile he has to limit his beingness activity?

As a naturally-gifted musician who had been taking soft lessons for a fewer years, Kobin decided he was going to usage his downtime to execute thing he’d been wanting to do anyway, which was to study to play nan organ. Now, conscionable complete a twelvemonth aft his surgery, 11-year-old Kobin gets to stock his passion and talent for euphony arsenic an charismatic organist for his section Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, and it each started pinch an unexpected surgery.

“I was going to nan orthodontist for a check, and nan expert took an X-ray to spot my teeth,” Kobin says. “Dr. (Matt) Ellison saw this point and had a feeling.”

That “thing” turned retired to beryllium a slow-growing epidermoid cyst successful Kobin’s skull. While this type of cyst is usually considered benign, Kobin’s mother, Lori Harris, says this 1 posed a threat to Kobin, arsenic it was increasing into his brain. It needed to beryllium removed.

Orthodontist Matt Ellison discovered an different spot successful a regular ultrasound, which led to Kobin’s eventual room to region a cyst connected his brain. | Courtesy photo

Kobin went to Primary Children’s Hospital for nan room successful June 2023, wherever it was besides revealed that Kobin was missing a mini portion of his skull. His mother considers it a occurrence that he had ne'er injured his skull earlier nan vulnerability was discovered. Kobin was fixed a star-shaped titanium sheet to adjacent nan spread successful his skull.

“I couldn’t do thing pinch my caput for six weeks,” Kobin says. His mother explains that he had to debar submerging his caput successful h2o aliases doing thing that would origin accrued humor travel to his caput aliases that would consequence him bumping his head.

While successful recovery, Kobin practiced his music, including playing his electrical keyboard group to make organ sounds. He became enthralled pinch learning to play nan organ, truthful his dad, Jeff Harris, called successful a favor. Jeff had done immoderate remodeling activity for section organist Jim Clark and thought possibly he could thief Kobin.

“I said, ‘Jim, I’ve sewage a boy who’s overly fixated connected organs, and I don’t cognize wherever to go,’” Jeff says.

Clark insisted that he wasn’t an organ teacher, but said he wanted to meet Kobin and show him a fewer things. According to Jeff, this turned into “visits connected nan regular for nan remainder of nan summer.”

“Jim really unlocked thing Kobin didn’t cognize he had,” Jeff says.

Clark says Kobin is self-driven, which makes him easy to teach.

“Kobin decidedly wants to learn,” Clark says. “It is his thought and he isn’t being forced to return lessons. Perhaps his parents gave him a commencement and he discovered thing he loves. I stake they don’t request to coax him to believe each day.”

Kobin and his organ coach Jim Clark. | Courtesy photo

After his first summertime learning from Clark, Kobin continued to hone his skills and was yet asked to play for his religion congregation each different Sunday. He says it’s ever breathtaking erstwhile his ward’s euphony head gives him nan songs to believe for nan upcoming week. His mom says he has besides accompanied nan choir and played for baptisms, funerals and larger area meetings.

“He’s ever willing,” Lori says. “He ever will show people, ‘Absolutely.’”

Kobin tin play done nan full hymnbook and erstwhile his mom quizzes him connected hymn numbers, he knows each one.

Lori says that, while having her kid spell done encephalon room and betterment was not thing she would person chosen, she’s grateful for what nan acquisition created for Kobin.

“Looking back, it was conscionable a tender mercy that Dr. Matt Ellison recovered it erstwhile he did,” Lori says. “I don’t deliberation Kobin would person had nan aforesaid clip aliases opportunity (to study to play nan organ). It’s specified a blessing that came retired of that trial.”

Jeff says he is continually amazed pinch his son’s talent and desire to play.

“It blows my mind that he tin do this astatine specified a young age, and he’s still getting amended each day,” Jeff says. “He conscionable keeps going and going and getting amended and better.”

Kobin says he wants to thatch euphony astatine a assemblage erstwhile he grows up.

Kobin takes an opportunity to play an organ astatine Brigham Young University-Idaho. | Courtesy photo