his is the incredible moment a deaf baby smiles up at his dad as he breaks down while singing to him. The video of Zach Oxendine singing to his two-year-old Judah who has cerebral palsy, lung disease and hearing problems – has been bringing viewers to tears.
Clutching his son to his chest, 25-year-old Zach begins to sing country ballad Boy by Lee Brice, struggling to make it through without crying. Zach has been singing the song to Judah since he was born at 23 weeks weighing under 2lbs with bleeding on his brain. He was kept in the intensive care unit for the first six months of his life, but the incredible boy has managed to pull through every operation he has faced in his short life.
In the footage, Zach’s mother Linda films the father and son at home in Lumberton, North Carolina, US, as he belts out the notes. It clearly works for Judah, who flashes a grin as his death is reduced to tears. ‘It’s just a truly magical moment between me and my son – every time I watch the video back and see his smile, I tear up.
‘Ever since the song hit the airwaves, it’s been a song that I can relate to, as it explains the love between a father and his son. ‘When I got the news that Judah would be having surgery and having a feeding tube placed in his stomach, I played the song over and over again – I cried, but I then realised how strong he and I are, and that’s what lead me to sing it to him. ‘Usually, Judah reacts with a smile because he loves it when someone interacts with him, we tend to say he’s the happiest boy we’ve seen, despite all he’s been through. ‘When he looked up at me, it was if he was saying everything was going to be okay this is just a storm in life that will soon pass and we will one day be thankful for it – that’s what I got from that smile and I just couldn’t contain myself.’
