Jesus, hold my voice tonight. Catch it if it fades from sight. If I fall before the end. Hi, my name is Emma. I’m 9 years old. I’m from a small town in Idaho. I live with my grandma. My mom and dad died in a car crash when I was four. I don’t remember much, just the sirens and the sound of glass. After that, grandma took me in.

 She’s been everything to me. She reads me stories. She makes me soup when I’m sick. She calls me her light. Things were okay for a while. I liked school. I love to draw. I sang all the time. I sang in the car, in the kitchen, in the tub. Grandma said I had a song inside me that never ran out.

 But last year, I started getting really tired. I thought maybe I was just staying up too late. Then I started feeling dizzy and sometimes my nose wouldn’t stop bleeding. Then I fainted in class. Grandma took me to the hospital. They did a lot of tests. Then they sat us down. The doctor said it was leukemia. Stage four.

 He looked sorry when he said it. He didn’t have to say more. Grandma’s hands started shaking. Mine, too. I didn’t cry right away. Not until that night when Grandma tucked me in and kissed my head. And whispered, “Please stay, baby.” That’s when I cried. Because I didn’t know if I could. Then came the treatments. They were awful.

 My hair started falling out. I threw up almost every day. I couldn’t walk much. My legs got weak. Sometimes I couldn’t even sit up. I missed a lot of school. I missed my friends. But the thing I missed most was singing. For a while, I stopped. It just hurt too much. Not just my throat. But in here, in my chest. One night, grandma was folding laundry.

She started humming this old lullabi. It was the same one my mom used to sing. Without thinking, I joined in. Our voices met in the middle. And I didn’t cry. I just sang and something inside me opened again. From that day, I started singing a little every day. Even if I was in bed.

 Even if my mouth tasted like metal, even if I couldn’t feel my fingers, I still sang. It made me feel alive. It made me feel like me again. One day, the nurses recorded me singing. They sent the video to someone. Then one morning, I got a call. They said they saw the video and they wanted me to come even if I was sick, even if I was in a chair. They said my voice mattered.

 I looked at grandma. She smiled so big I thought her face would split. She said, “Your mom would be so proud.” So we packed up, got on a plane. Today I feel weak. We almost didn’t come, but I told grandma I had to because I don’t know if I’ll ever get another chance. They say I don’t have much time.

 A few weeks maybe, but I don’t want to wait in a more. I don’t want to leave without singing one last time, not in a hospital, not in a chair, but here where people can hear me. This song is the one my mom used to sing. And I changed a few parts because now it’s mine, too. I want to sing it for her, for grandma, for anyone who’s ever felt alone, for anyone who’s hurting.

I don’t know what happens after this, but I know my voice will still be here, even when I’m not. So this is for her and for you. I’m ready. Let’s sing. Best of luck. I know I’m small, but you still see. And now I’m down here on my knee. I don’t have long, but I still sing. So Jesus, take this offering. They say I won’t see next July, but I’m not here to ask you why.

I’m here to sing with what I’ve got. A little girl who hurts a lot. Jesus, hold my voice tonight. Catch it if it fades from sight. If I fall before the earth, let my soul rise up again. Jesus, hold my voice tonight. Jesus, hold my voice tonight. [Music] I lost my hair. I lost my faith. But not my soul, not my life.

[Applause] Jesus, hold my voice tonight. Mama’s face is in the sky. I see her when I close my eyes. They used to sing and call me brave. People seem to hurt beyond the grave. I’m not afraid. I’m not alone. You’ll walk me right to heaven’s throne. So if my voice begins to break, please take it Lord for your name’s sake.

Jesus my voice tonight. Heat. Heat. Heat. Jesus, hold my voice. Even my face I’ll sing I’ll sing I’ll sing all those arms and streets of gold. Jesus hold my voice tonight. I gave it all I held on tight. If I sleep and don’t awake, let them hear the sound I made. Jesus, hold my voice tonight. [Music] Jesus, hold my voice to [Music] Heat. Heat.

[Applause] Hey, [Music] [Music]