HOUSTON – Angelica Hale, 11, won over the judges and fans of "America’s Got Talent" in season 12, in which she finished the competition in second place. The talented singer from Atlanta, Georgia, stole the show and became a viral sensation after her rendition of “Girl on Fire” received Chris Hardwick’s Golden Buzzer.
But many people who listen to her voice might not know how that, when she was only 4 years old, she almost died from double pneumonia. She spent over 80 days in the hospital and was put on life support.
“It was a crazy time. We never thought I would get this sick. We never expect to get such a horrific thing,” said Hale.
But after her sixth birthday, Angelica received a lifesaving kidney transplant, with a kidney donated by her mother.
“One of the most important things is that I got through it. The kidney transplant went fantastic. My mom got tested and she was a match,” reflects Angelica who is the first kid ambassador of the National Kidney Foundation.
After that chapter of her life, she’s been focusing on music as a way to express her feelings. She is also teaching her little sister some vocal exercises, because she might be following in her big sister's footsteps. Talent runs in the family.