Nightbirde's appearance was the highlight of America’s Got Talent Season 16's August 11 episode.
On Wednesday night, the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Jane Marczewski, virtually returned to the show after opting out of the live results show due to health issues.
Nightbirde previously revealed that her doctors had given her a grim diagnosis. She has also had cancer three times.
"I have a 2 percent chance of survival, but 2 percent is not zero percent. Two percent is something, and I wish people knew how amazing it is," she told AGT host Terry Crews.
Hence, her latest appearance on AGT, sporting a newly shaved head with her trademark beatific smile, made the host and judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofía Vergara, and Simon Cowell, emotional and left them in tears.
On that night, Cowell appreciated her courage and decision to prioritize her health right now while revealing he and Marczewski had spoken privately “a few times” since her audition. He added,
And I know the last time we spoke, you actually said you feel like you let people down [by leaving the competition]. Well, I just want to say on behalf of all of us, you haven't let anyone down.
Cowell's kind words were followed up by Mandel's lovely message, where he told the aspiring singer, "The entire world is suffering adversity right now, and you are the poster-human for courage in the face of adversity, for poise, for beauty, and for fight. And that's what we all need to do."
Hearing supportive words from the judges, the 30-year-old expressed her gratitude towards them and the show in a tearful voice.
"I cannot say thank you enough for the opportunity to have a moment to share my story and we are witnessing such a beautiful picture of the human spirit," Nightbirde said, adding that the enormous love and support from everyone has "restored my faith in humanity."
"This is the most beautiful thing that's ever happened to me in my life," she stated.
Her Health Condition Now
On August 4, 2021, Nightbirde spoke to CNN's Chris Cuomo, giving updates about her health condition. She revealed she got shocking news less than a week before the interview about cancer regrowth that had taken over her lungs and liver. Due to that, her liver right now is mostly cancer.
Despite that, she showed positivity by saying that she was planning her future and not stopping anytime soon. She also said she wasn't bothered about making a legacy.
Nightbirde's Golden Buzzer Performance
The singer, from Zanesville, Ohio, sang her original song 'It's OK' for her audition performance on the ongoing 16th season of America's Got Talent. Her performance was so touching that she received a golden buzzer from Cowell.
The golden buzzer automatically advanced Nightbirde to this year's AGT live shows, but she didn't continue her journey due to her health condition.
Her original was also posted on online music platforms and YouTube, and subsequently went on to become No. 1 on iTunes and No. 2 trending on YouTube. The song's YouTube video currently has over 900,000 likes and over 31 million views.
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