PROSPECT HEIGHTS — When 9-year-old Cecilia Gilson was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition, her parents, Nuria Zelaya and Stephen Gilson, relied on their Catholic faith and the power of prayer. But they also got an assist from another source — a famous singer-songwriter.
The songs of Sarah Kroger, a Nashville-based performer whose faith-based lyrics and soothing melodies have made her a big name in the Christian music scene, brought comfort to the family during Cecilia’s battle with Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).
PANS is a condition that can strike without warning and includes symptoms like anxiety, irritability, motor tics, sleep disorders, and loss of appetite. Ceclia began exhibiting symptoms in December 2024 and was diagnosed in early 2025.
Zelaya and Gilson prayed and listened to music as they took their daughter back and forth to medical appointments.
“There was one song that we loved, ‘The Gardener.’ We played it over and over. Cecilia loved it,” said Zelaya, a physician assistant.
In “The Gardener,” Kroger speaks on putting her life in God’s hands, singing, “Whatever is growing that doesn’t belong, cut it away. Whatever is thriving, rooted and strong, oh let it stay.”
The Gilsons, who live in Arlington, Virginia, with Cecilia and her four siblings, met Kroger when they came to New York in December to attend a concert she gave with Christian music superstar Matt Maher at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.
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They used the opportunity to tell Kroger how her music meant to them and to Cecilia.
“I love her voice and the way she sings,” Cecilia said. “Her songs are so nice. They make me feel better.”
The family was introduced to “The Gardener” by a friend, Father Keith O’Hare of the Diocese of Arlington, a jazz musician who plays guitar and saxophone.
“The moment we heard the song, it was incredible,” said Gilson, a construction worker. “We just immediately clung to this song.”
Kroger’s sweet voice came to them at a tough time in their lives. Cecilia, an outgoing, fun-loving little girl with a big heart, had suddenly become agitated and non-communicative. She also wasn’t sleeping well.
Her parents couldn’t figure out what was wrong. “The Gardener” was a big help, Gilson said.
“For us, and for Cecilia, it was just so powerful — the song and the words and the calming effect on her when she was really upset and anxious,” he explained. “We knew that God was working through Sarah in that song.”
According to the PANDAS Network, an advocacy group, it is estimated that one in 200 children in the U.S. has PANS. It is a condition that can take years to diagnose because it is often mistaken for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
However, Cecilia was diagnosed, began a regimen of antibiotics, and has shown signs of improvement — all within four months. It turned out that a tick-borne infection caused her PANS.
When Zelaya and Gilson learned that Kroger was performing in concert at the co-cathedral on Dec. 9 as part of a tour of cathedrals, they decided to bring the family to New York so that Cecilia could meet her favorite singer.
“I thought she was really nice,” she recalled.
As excited as Ceclia was, her parents were equally thrilled.
“What was really cool about meeting Sarah is that I had the opportunity to tell her that her music really sustained us through what was a very dark, dark period,” Gilson said.
Zelaya was touched when Kroger kneeled so that she would be on the same level as Cecilia. She told Cecilia that her confirmation name was also Cecilia.
“I felt like she was establishing a bond with my daughter,” Zelaya said. “It meant a lot.”