McKenna Breinholt never knew her birth family. But that all changed during her audition on ABC’s “American Idol.”
The 25-year-old Arizona native recently tried out for the television show’s 22nd season. During her audition, Breinholt shared with judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie that she was adopted right after her birth.
After Breinholt turned 21, she sat down with her family and asked them to share what they knew about her birth family. They told McKenna that her mom’s name was Amy Ross Lopez – a musician who had performed locally in Bisbee, Arizona – and that she had passed away.
“I instantly knew where I got my ear from and where I got my voice from. It just all clicked,” Breinholt shared.
She told the judges that she had recently come into contact with her birth family – and unsurprisingly, they all sing well. Though Breinholt had talked with her family via FaceTime, they had never met in person.
“My birth family was looking for me for the last eight years,” Breinholt said. “Knowing I have another family out there’s who is equally excited to know and love me was amazing.”
Unbeknownst to her, Breinholt’s birth family – her aunts, an uncle and her grandma – had come to hear her try out for Idol.
For her audition, Breinholt sang “There Was Jesus” by Dolly Parton and Zach Williams. She sang:
“Every time I tried to make it on my own
Every time I tried to stand and start to fall
And all those lonely roads that I have travelled on
There was Jesus.
“When the life I built came crashing to the ground
When the friends I had were nowhere to be found
I couldn’t see it then but I can see it now
There was Jesus.”
You can watch Breinholt’s tearjerking audition and family reunion below:
Breinholt’s rendition and family reunion are a beautiful picture of the value of family – both biological and adopted.
It’s a reminder that our culture desperately needs. A growing number of young adults are prioritizing their careers and friendships over forming families, getting married and having children.
According to Pew Research Center, 71% of American adults say having a job or career they enjoy is “extremely/very important” in living a fulfilling life. Another 61% say having close friends is equally important.
Yet only 26% of American adults say having children is very important to them, and just 23% say being married is “extremely/very important.”
Hopefully Breinholt’s audition will remind the millions of “American Idol” viewers – and all Americans – to prioritize faith and family as the secret to happiness and a well-lived life.
Currently, the United States has more than 391,000 children in foster care. Focus on the Family’s Wait No More program helps inspire families to become involved in the lives of waiting kids, whether through adoption or in a different way.
To learn more about Wait No More, click here.
Additionally, you can listen to the Focus on the Family Broadcast “Changing the World Through Adoption.” Focus’ Vice President of Communications Paul Batura discusses his book Chosen for Greatness, and how adopting his three sons has changed his life for the better. You can listen to the broadcast here.
Related articles and resources:
Changing the World Through Adoption
Resources: Foster Care & Adoption
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Photo from YouTube.
