Kechi Okwuchi survived a plane crash in 2005.
She was one of only two people to walk away from a tragic accident that left over 100 people dead.
This fact on its own is astounding and inspiring enough, as Kechi said the following during a pre-taped segment on America"s Got Talent last night:
"Hopefully people can look at me and go, "This is a fellow human being. She went through this and she came out on the other side." Their injuries don"t have to define them."
But Kechi is also from Houston.
And that city was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey over the weekend, making her rendition on Tuesday of Katy Perry’s “By The Grace Of God" even more poignant.
"I"ve always felt a responsibility to the people that lost loved ones in that plane crash, and it pushes me to do all the things that I do," she said.
"I want to make them proud. I want them to see that this life that was saved that day was not saved in vain."
We think she"s succeeded in this mission.
All four judges gave Kechi a standing ovation after her song, with Heidi Klum remarking:
"It makes me so happy to sit here and watch you on that big stage and fulfill your dream.”
Mel B said the aspiring singer was “pitch-perfect” with her “amazing voice,” but “more importantly to me, you are a survivor… And for that, you must go through. You must. I have to see you again.”
And Simon Cowell?
"You came out as the person I always believed you wanted to be… You are important in these days and ages, when people need people like you as an inspiration."
Asked by host Tyra Banks if she wanted to send a message to her hometown residents, Kechi replied:
“I want to say that I pray that my performance gave them something positive to see. I’m not even sure if people in Houston can see this, [but] I hope they feel something positive and feel strength to move on."
Beautiful stuff.
Watch the performance now:
