This past February, 25-year-old Zach Oxendine stole the world’s heart when he broke into tears while singing a lullaby to his deaf son Judah.
Zach, from Lumberton, North Carolina, has always loved singing, but when his son Judah was born 23 weeks early with a host of health problems, music helped him cope. When Judah was born, he weighed less than two pounds. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, and lung disease, undergoing “scores” of operations in his first six months of life. Throughout it all, though, Judah has been a survivor.
“Every obstacle he has faced, he has overcome and will continue to do so,” Zack told Story Trender.
“He’s a real miracle.”
“I can remember when Judah was in the NICU, he was smiling. Since he was born and aware he was in the world, he’s never stopped smiling,” he continued.
“He has a heart of gold and can bring the toughest of men to tears.”
As mentioned, Zach used music to help him cope with Judah’s health problems, but one song, in particular, held special meaning— “Boy” by country singer Lee Brice. The song describes emotions felt by a father watching his son grow up too soon. Zach said:
“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 then I realized how strong he and I are— and that’s what lead me to sing it to him.”
In the video, you see Zach clutching Judah and singing him the touching lyrics. In the beginning, Zach is completely unaware that his mother Linda is recording him.
“Boy, you’re gonna hate this town,” he sings.
Wish you could burn it down.
That fire in your eyes is 20 counties wide,
But boy, you’re gonna love 17
And boy, you’ll do some stupid things.”
When Zach notices he’s being recorded, he gets a little embarrassed, admitting he’s “about to cry”. He pauses intermittently to gather his composure, but with his mother’s encouragement, he manages to carry on.
At one point, Zach sits down on the sofa— and when little Judah looks up at him with a grin of pride…
Zach can’t hold back his tears.
“It’s just truly a magical moment between me and my son,” the man said. “Every time I watch the video back and see his smile, I tear up.”
“When he looked up at me, it was as 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.”
Zach and Judah’s emotional moment has been viewed more than 30,000 times. People describe it as tear-jerking and beautiful.
“In love with how he loves his son and how his son knows and responds with a glowing smile,” Christine Martinez posted to YouTube.
“Jesus Christ I flip through. And it had me crying. I haven’t cried in 10 years,” wrote Roger Cross Jr. “I spent all my 20s away from my 2 boys and 2 girls either in Iraq or over the road working. And I thought I was hard. Well that was amazing.”
See it for yourself below!
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