LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Before storming the stage at the KFC Yum! Center Friday night, Garth Brooks treated a young fan to a special experience she will never forget.
McKenna “Mickey” Phernetton, 19, and her family drove from Evansville, Ind. to Louisville Friday to see Brooks’ first performance. 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,” explained Mickey’s father, Patrick Phernetton. “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.”
Brooks invited the family to watch his sound check before the show, giving Mickey a chance to meet the country icon – an experienced that was truly remarkable.
"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 next to Mickey and the pair sang an acoustic duet of “The River”, a song about chasing one’s dreams. Phernetton recorded the heartwarming moment on his phone. The video has been shared hundreds of times on 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 the superstar wasn’t quite done. When it came time for Brooks to sing “The River” during the concert he screamed, “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.