Dying mom creates one last song for her son and it tops the charts
All Cat Janice wanted was to leave something behind for her son through her music. Mission accomplished.

A dance bop with so much meaning
News of the Grammys might be circulating all over the web right now, but that’s not where you’ll hear about this truly inspiring music story.
Thirty-one year old musician and mom Cat Janice had one wish after being diagnosed with cancer: to leave behind a song for her 7-year-old son Loren, so that he could collect the proceeds.
The D.C.-based singer songwriter first noticed a lump in her neck in November of 2021, as she explained on TikTok. Over the next year the lump grew larger, prompting her to visit a doctor who confirmed it was sarcoma.Janice continued singing and writing songs throughout her chemo treatments and surgery, posting her creations—and her healing progress—on social media.
Despite being declared cancer-free on July 22, 2022, the cancer returned almost a year later. And in January 2024, she posted that her “tumors basically tripled overnight," leaving her virtually unable to speak, let alone sing, and living in hospice.@cat.janice #greenscreensticker cannot even believe this happened but I have to keep my head up. I want to leave behind every penny I have for him. Will you please pre save it and stream when it comes out? Hospice has been easier and more time with kiddo but swelling has not stopped :( ❤️❤️ prayers please #cancer #songwriter ♬ Dance You Outta My Head - Cat Janice
Knowing she didn’t have much time left, Jancie teased out one last song, a happy pop tune titled “Dance You Outta My Head,” kindly asking folks to stream it. That way, she could leave her baby boy something when she was gone.
Janice got her wish. “Dance You Outta My Head” blew up on TikTok. People not shared videos of them dancing along to the words, but also offered words of support and empathy.
@kylei.ann I am cryingggg at our spins @Cat Janice ♬ Dance You Outta My Head - Cat Janice
"I was once a 7-year-old who lost their mom to cancer," someone wrote. "Dancing to spread this song."
What's clear is that folks weren't just spreading the song out of charity. Janice created a bona fide banger—infused with joy and that special something that make you wanna move
@stephfozzy This message is for you @Cat Janice. I’ll never dance you outta my head.🥹 Thank you. Love you. I’m gonna miss you.🪩💛✨ #catjanice #musiclivesonforever #musicismagic #womensupportingwomen #cancersucks #danceyououttamyhead ♬ Dance You Outta My Head - Cat Janice
The song didn’t just go viral online. In a subsequent video, Janice shared that she had woken up in the middle of the night to find out “Dance You Outta My Head” had charted #5 in the world on iTunes.
In the video’s caption, Janice shared her gratitude, writing, “all of this is because of you guys .I am so lucky to even be alive. Let alone with such a strong family of music lovers by my side. My son and I will forever be grateful. I feel like I can rest in God’s peace from all your love. Just so wild.”
And thank you, Janice, for reminding us all that even during our darkest moments, that beauty can be created. That is what art is all about.
You can catch the full version of “Dance You Outta My Head” below, or you can stream it on Spotify/iTunes. And if you’d like to further support Janice and her family, you can find a GoFundMe page, where the donations are geared both towards saving her life and Loren’s education, counseling and music lessons, here.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."