Nonverbal 4-year-old with autism finds his voice through help of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' 'Old Town Road'

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Friday, June 7, 2019
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' 'Old Town Road' helps 4-year-old with autism
The mother of four called the moment a miracle because little Daniel struggles to put words together.

A song that has taken the internet and the music charts by storm is now changing the life of one little boy.

Four-year-old Daniel, who has been diagnosed with autism, recently found his voice through the help of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Old Town Road."

Former ABC13 Eyewitness News employee Sheletta Brundidge shared the video of the 'Old Town Road' miracle to Twitter and it has since gone viral.

Brundidge said Daniel, who is nonverbal, was caught humming the song and then he began singing the lyrics all on his own.

"All of a sudden, he starts singing those words, 'I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road,'" she said. "And I was like, 'Oh my God my child is singing something we didn't teach him.'"

The mother of four called the moment a miracle because little Daniel struggles to put words together.

"He was diagnosed at 1-year-old, but even after three years of really intense therapy he's still having difficulty saying more than three words at a time," Brundidge told Eyewitness News.

Ever since he began singing the hit song, Brundidge says, "He's got all the Lil Nas X parts down and I'm rocking Billy Ray Cyrus."

The inspirational tweet and video caught the attention of Lil Nas X, who retweeted Brundidge and said "What a king."

Daniel also has two other brothers who have autism -- Brandon, 6, and Cameron, 5. While they have made progress during their therapy sessions, Brundidge says Daniel's autism is the most severe.

"It's been an uphill battle, we're still trying, we're still working really hard to make progress," Brundidge said.

According to Brundidge, after Daniel's breakthrough, his therapists began using the song during their session. "Now we're using it in therapy and they're using it in school with his special education classes."

Brundidge added that they will be looking into what other songs can possibly help Daniel and that they are excited he "finally had his breakthrough."

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