OTTAWA -- An Ottawa boy is saying “thank you” to all health care and frontline workers for their hard work during the pandemic, and vows “together we’ll kick COVID into space.”
Ryan Bottomley wrote and recorded a new song called “COVID-19 Heroes”, as a tribute to his parents who work in the health care sector and all doctors, nurses, health care workers, Ottawa Police officers, Ottawa paramedics and essential workers.
The 10-year-old wrote the lyrics in less than an hour last weekend and recorded the song in just one take.
Ryan’s dad James Bottomley played guitar during the song, and CHEO offered to make the video.
The song says “Thank you doctors for all that you do. Thank you nurses for going to work. Thank you people for staying apart, together we’ll kick COVID into space.”
James Bottomley tells CTV News Ottawa that Ryan’s initial inspiration to write the song was his mom, who is an anaesthesiologist at the Ottawa Hospital.
“Ry was also inspired by a recent neighbourhood event where residents were encouraged to stand outside their homes on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and make some noise in support of health care and frontline workers.”
Bottomley says it wasn’t very noisy on the street, “so Ryan wanted to find another way to show support and try to get his personal message out.”
James Bottomley is a project manager at both CHEO and the Ottawa Hospital. Ryan is a Grade 5 student at Le Phare Elementary School.
CHEO shared Ryan’s song on its Facebook page, with the message “as Ryan says ‘together we will kick #COVID19 into space.’ Rock on Ryan!”
