A 10-year-old girl from Ireland who has Autism and ADHD has touched thousands around the world by giving glory to God with her beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen's iconic song, 'Hallelujah' - with the lyrics slightly changed.
According to the BBC, Kaylee Rodgers sang the solo part during her school choir concert at Killard House School in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, which left many in attendance in tears.
Kaylee often sings at the local Christmas concert at First Presbyterian Church but last year, she lost her voice and couldn't attend the Sunday service, according to People. Instead, her teacher played the video, which was filmed just a few weeks before. The video was then uploaded to Facebook and YouTube, where it quickly went viral, receiving over 800,000 views.
Kaylee told ITV that she was excited just to be singing, but that it was also "amazing" that the video had received so much attention.
"I just loved doing it," she said.
The young girl, who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at a young age, reportedly began singing as a way to build her confidence, according to The Independent.
Colin Millar, head teacher at Killard House, said: "For a child who came in P4 and would really talk, couldn'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."
The alternative lyrics sung by Kaylee were written by contemporary Christian rock band Cloverton and focus on the birth of Christ and the Gospel message. The band, based in Manhattan, Kansas, previously had their video taken down on YouTube due to a copyright infringement claim by Sony.
Cohen's opening lyrics: "Well I heard there was a secret chord/That David played and it pleased the Lord/But you don't really care for music, do you?" were changed by the band to: "I've heard about this baby boy/Who's come to earth to bring us joy/And I just want to sing this song to you," and so on for the duration of the song.
Kaylee's has been enrolled at Killard House School since she turned four, BBC News reported. The school's music teacher, Llyod Scates, encouraged her to sing solos during concerts.
"She always loved singing, but it wasn't until she started at Killard House School that she really came into her own," Tracy Rodgers, Kaylee's mom, told BBC News. "He's like her safety blanket - he's amazing."
Watch the heartwarming video below.
