Dentist's random piano performance earned him a friendship and a special gift he always wished for

Music is the universal language that connects souls from across the world. Even if people have different personalities, lifestyles and cultures, music has the power to bring them together, kick-starting beautiful friendships or relationships between them. Last October, the story of a blooming friendship between two men who shared their love for music garnered appreciation on the internet. Dr. Luis Mendez is a dentist in Rochester, New York, who has a passion for playing piano and he loves to play the instrument in the lobby of Wilmot Cancer Institute, as per ABC-affiliate 13 WHAM. Little did he know that one of his performances would turn out to be so rewarding. 

Hailing from Mexico, Mendez moved to New York to train as a dentist at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He was always driven to help out people and his dental health care service was his channel to offer that help. Mendez's ardent love for playing piano began when was 12 years old and it still excites him. So, when he moved to the U.S. he was worried about not being able to bring his piano from Mexico. However, the Wilmot Cancer Center became his holy grail because of the grand piano in its lobby. He would often practice in the lobby to his heart's content. 

One fine day, Mendez's performance moved a cancer patient to tears. Harley Bowman came with his wife to the cancer center and his meeting with a doctor went very long. After his wife, who was also a cancer patient, left, Bowman just sat back in the lobby pondering his situation. "I was sitting here in this huge lobby and I had a lot of things on my mind. It was a very emotional and trying time," Bowman told the news channel. That is when he saw Mendez, who was in his scrubs, playing a beautiful piece that felt soothing to Bowman. Approaching the dentist, Bowman said with a sigh of relief, "Boy, I needed that." Mendez noticed that the old man was in tears and eventually, he was moved to tears too.

"Some people would come and say, 'Thank you for the music,' but maybe I was not fully aware of the effect the music was having on the patients," Mendez shared. This moment sparked a friendship between the two men and Bowman knew that Mendez missed his old piano. He even came up with an unexpected offer. Apparently, Bowman knew a lady who was finding a good home for her family's piano and was ready to "give it to someone who would cherish it." Mendez said, "I didn't have a piano at home. I was praying for a piano," and added, "It was a combination of feelings, like an answer to my prayers, but also excited because now I was going to be able to play at home."

"I've learned that it's important to somehow in some way show your gratefulness," Bowman said indicating that the dentist had received the gift he always prayed for. Bowman was so delighted to see pictures of Mendez and his kids having their best times with the piano at their home. But that hasn't stopped Mendez from gracing the cancer center's lobby with his soulful music. Now that he knows the impact his music created on patients, he still continues to make the day better for them.