Evie Clair charmed the America's Got Talent judges from the moment she stepped on stage, making them laugh with the fact that her small hometown, Florence, Arizona, had five prisons and little else.
But then, Evie Clair stole the audience's hearts when she shared the reason she was there to sing: "My dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and they gave him a five percent chance to live and he still continued working and supporting our family. So tonight, I'm here to sing for him."
Evie Clair sang “Arms” by Christina Perri, a song with special significance for her and her father, Amos Abplanalp.
“When my dad is having rough days, then I go to his room and I sing him this song to help him feel better and just to give him comfort and strength to continue fighting,” Evie said.
"You are unbelievably brave for what you told us tonight," Simon Cowell told Evie.
Tears filled the eyes of audience members as Evie gave a powerful, heart-stirring performance, receiving a standing ovation and a "yes" to advance from all four judges.
Last year, Evie Clair teamed up with America's Got Talent star Spencer Jones to perform "Eye of the Tiger" for her father to help him continue to fight.
Amos Abplanalp discovered he had cancer in April 2016. "Amos is an LDS Bishop in [Florence,] Arizona and a psychological professional counselor at a prison. His first operation was unsuccessful and left him with a colostomy. He has continued as bishop and has been given strength from family and friends and blessings from above to do so," the video description says on YouTube.
On a family blog, Evie's mother, Hillary, recently posted, "Our Creator is aware of each of us in ways we can’t even comprehend. He watches over us and wants to help us understand His ways. Pain is only a small moment in the vastness of eternity and can serve a purpose to bring us closer to the One who suffered all, if we let it."