During a time when it's easy to feel hopeless, an Ohio woman says she found hope where she least expected it.
Christina Ballenger of Pickerington said she was scared to get her COVID-19 vaccine. She's had an allergic reaction in the past.
"Tongue swollen - could not speak, stomach cramping, rash, redness, hives," she listed. "[I] just know that I never want to have that feeling again."
At the advice of her doctor, Ballenger booked an appointment to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Still, those nerves didn't go away.
She saw a post in "Ohio Vaccine Hunters," a Facebook group. She learned of a Beavercreek woman named Angie Morlan, who is playing the piano as people get their shots at the Dayton Convention Center.
Morlan said she was inspired by the video of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, playing at a vaccine center in Massachusetts.
"At the most stressful moments in my life, I've always gone to my piano," Morlan said. "I thought, 'If I can do this for people, I'm going to go do it!'"
Ballenger messaged Morlan ahead of her appointment.
"I was like, 'Will you be there Thursday?' She was like, 'Well, I kind of hadn't planned on it. I have piano lessons, but I want to be there for you,'" Ballenger recalled. "'She said, 'What song do you want me to play?' I don't even know what made You'll Never Walk Alone pop into my head. My dad has been gone since 2017 and he used to sing [to me] and the words are so powerful."
Ballenger said she never expected Morlan to show up to her appointment, but sure enough, she did. Morlan played the song that reminded Ballenger of her father.
"As she was playing, I could hear my dad's voice. It was overwhelming," Ballenger said. "To know that a perfect stranger was willing to use her God-given gift to support me ... it was one of those 'God-wink' moments."
Ballenger and Morlan told 10TV's Angela Reighard they got more than shots at the Dayton Convention Center - they formed a sisterhood. They hope to meet up and hug once it is safe to do so.
"It gave me hope not just about the health pandemic, but just about the world in general," Ballenger said.
Morlan added, "For those who are scared, I hope this just gives them a little bit of peace of mind and hope."
You can watch Morlan play the piano for Ballenger in the player below.
To schedule an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccine in Ohio, click here.