10-year-old girl with autism singing 'Hallelujah' will give you goosebumps
LONDON -- A 10-year-old girl from Northern Ireland has wowed people around the world after a video of her singing in her school choir went viral.
The video of the choirs's version of Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah" -- recorded at the school's Christmas show -- has gained almost 170,000 views in three days. Kaylee Rodgers, from Donaghadee, County Down, has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but singing has helped her build up her confidence.
CARD ID: 138243
According to the National Autistic Society, autism is a "developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people". The NHS defines ADHD as a group of behavioural symptoms including "inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness".
People from around the world have been wowed by the little girl's voice, with hundreds of comments praising Kaylee's singing ability.
"Wow what a beautiful voice she has," wrote one commenter. "Leonard Cohen would love this!" wrote another.
Kaylee's headteacher told UTV that the video shows how far Kaylee has come since she came to the school in Primary Four (aged between 7 and 8).
"For a child who came in P4 and wouldn't really talk, wouldn’t really read out in class, to stand and perform in front of an audience is amazing. It takes a lot of effort on Kaylee’s part"" Colin Millar, principal of Killard House, told UTV.
Bravo, Kaylee!
Topics Viral Videos
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
