Siblings put on a cello concert for their elderly neighbor who's self-isolating: 'A real gift'

The coronavirus epidemic has, in some circumstances, brought out the worst in us. Whether it's all the supermarket stockpiling or the lack of empathy we have for those who are immunocompromised, there are perhaps far too many ways that we have placed our self-interests above the greater good. However, sometimes certain people come forward to show you that there is still some humanity left. In a recent show of kindness, two siblings decided to cheer up an elderly neighbor who is under quarantine in order to protect herself from the deadly disease. Grabbing their cellos, they put on a stellar concert on their porch for their neighbor to enjoy, CNN reports.

Brother-sister duo nine-year-old Taran Tien and six-year-old Calliope Tien from Columbus, Ohio, recently went across the road in order to make their 78-year-old neighbor Helena Schlam's day in the midst of the public health crisis. As the elderly are more at risk if they contract the virus, Helena has been cooped up in her home for the past few days. So, the young children dressed up in their best clothes and went over to her porch - making sure to stay a safe distance away from her - in order to put on the best cello performance of their lives for the sweet senior citizen. The idea came to the pair of siblings when they wanted to do something to help her out. When she declined groceries, they got creative.

Therefore, for over 30 minutes on Monday, Taran and Calliope played several classical tracks, including a Bach minuet. They also got through some of Suzuki Book 1 and a bit of Suzuki Book 2. It was only after Helena heard the children play their cellos so beautifully that she left her house and joined them on the porch. She, of course, made sure to keep a safe distance from them to protect both herself and the celloists. "It was so delightful. It was a little cold but I just put on an extra coat," Helena said of the private concert in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch. "The kids are really quite talented and it was so much fun."

But it wasn't just Helena who got to witness the fabulous performance. As the senior citizen has family in Israel, the children scheduled the concert for a time when her family back home could FaceTime them and be part of the concert too. Helena's family usually visits during Passover, but like many other events this year, that won't be happening. Hence, this was a special moment of coming together for the whole Schlam family. "I haven’t been out of my house for five days, and I won’t be out anytime soon," Helena added. "This was a delightful break for all of us. I love all the kids and I love music. It was such a real gift."

It is not often that young children express the desire to do something nice for someone else just because. For that, the kids' mother Rebecca Tien is incredibly proud of them. She shared, "Obviously I am proud of my kids for doing something kind and I’m glad for them to have that experience and get out and do something exciting in these strange times." Through her son and daughter's act of kindness, she was also reminded about the importance of community during a public health crisis such as this one. "It also is important because it shows we can still have connections right now," the proud mother stated. "I needed that reminder, too."