Houstonian and plane crash survivor sends message of hope to Hurricane Harvey victims

On America’s Got Talent, 28-year-old Kechi Okwuchi from Houston, Texas graced the stage, where she sang Katy Perry’s “By the Grace of God,” a song with a message of hope and perseverance. The lyrics seemed particularly poignant and fitting for the Nigerian born woman. Being one of two survivors of a plane crash, Kechi has endured multiple operations and her entire body is covered in scars. She sang, “I put one foot in front of the other and I looked in the mirror and decided to stay. I wasn’t gonna let love take me out that way.” Kechi has had her share of hardships, so she was overwhelmed with tears by the crowd’s standing ovation for her performance. The judges were very moved by Kechi’s talent and strength and they felt that the Houstonian’s story of survival was inspirational to the Hurricane Harvey victims. Mel B said, “You are a survivor, you are an inspiration, you give people hope and passion and belief.” While Howie Mandel said, “I think it’s serendipitous that you're also living in Houston. They need you, you are a symbol.” In the end, Kechi had a message for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, hoping that her song might inspire them to keep going. “Hopefully they see it another time and they feel something positive and feel strength to move on,” she said.