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Hospital 'Piano Man' targets 'worries'

Janitor Rolando Maaba says he plays piano during his breaks at Rockford Health System hospital to help comfort patients and their families.

By Ben Hooper
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ROCKFORD, Ill., Sept. 19 (UPI) -- An Illinois hospital janitor dubbed the "Piano Man" said he plays the piano for patients and their families to help them "forget all their worries."

Rolando Maaba, 55, a Philippines native who moved to Rockford in 1999, said he started working for the Rockford Health System's Rockford Memorial Hospital about a year ago and he started using his 15-minute breaks to play the piano when bosses gave him their blessing.

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"They didn't know me then but when I played they liked me," Maaba said of officials.

"The bottom line is I want to be helping guests who are waiting for their relatives after an emergency or a surgery and they're worried," he told ABC News. "When I play, they forget all their worries."

"I want to help them just relax and the doctor will take care of them," Maaba said.

The janitor said he is careful that his piano playing does not interfere with the job he is being paid to perform.

"I play for 14 minutes and 39 seconds a day," he said.

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