Garth Brooks Sings Heartwarming Duet With Fan, Moment Caught On Camera

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In a video making it’s rounds through social media this weekend, we are reminded why Garth Brooks is known to have one of the biggest hearts in the business. Brooks has long credited his fans for his success and often takes the time to thank them with meet-and-greets and by giving fans moments they will never forget. But, for one Indiana fan, meeting the super star was truly the experience of a lifetime.

Prior to taking the stage at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center Friday night, Garth Brooks invited 19-year old McKenna “Mickey” Phernetton and her family to watch the sound check. Mickey was born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that leaves her with a constant feeling of hunger.

“[She] can never feel full or satisfied when it comes to food. So basically, it’s just starving all the time,” Mickey’s father, Patrick Phernetton said during a phone interview. “On top of that, there’s a whole host of medical conditions that go with it. She’s developmentally delayed so she functions at about a first or second grade level.”

“He was just being so sweet to her and she told him that she wanted to sing a song with him and he went backstage and grabbed his guitar,” said Phernetton.

Brooks sat down next to Mickey off stage and the pair sang Brooks’ hit song “The River”. Mickey’s dad captured the heartwarming moment on his phone and posted it to social media.

“It’s as happy as we’ve seen her in months. She was just grinning from ear to ear. It didn’t matter to him that maybe she didn’t know all the words or couldn’t quite keep up,” said Phernetton.

But Garth didn’t forget about Mickey once he took the stage. During his live performance of “The River” he called out “Where you at, Mickey?”

“We talked to him for a few seconds after the show and said he saw Mickey and was thinking about her when he sang the song,” said Phernetton.  

Grab your tissues and watch the beautiful moment between Garth Brooks and Mickey below. 

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