Two moms were bonded forever after one's infant son donated his heart to the other.
It was an emotional and powerful night on Tuesday's episode of America's Got Talent. One incredible story of two moms who live across the country from one another — Holly from New York and Kim from Oregon — moved the judges and the crowd to tears and standing ovations.
Prior to their performance of the song "For Good" from Wicked, Holly and Kim shared their story. Holly's infant son, Jake, died in 2007 and became an organ donor. Kim's son, Beckham, received Jake's heart when he was just 16 days old despite the women living thousands of miles apart and not knowing who the other was at the time.
Holly shared that the last song she sang to Jake was "For Good" from the Broadway musical Wicked. Without knowing the connection, Kim also sang the ballad to Beckham after his heart transplant surgery. When they met years later and discovered the amazing connection, the two moms were forever bonded.
"We would love to spread the word about organ donation. If we could change the heart of one person, it's worth it," Kim shared with the America's Got Talent judges.
Simon Cowell was nearly speechless after hearing the story, telling the women, "I don't even know what to say. It's such a sad story and the fact that you shared it with us. I'm a dad. I get it. That story you just told us about the same song, that's unbelievable."
After the pair's performance, Howie Mandel admitted that though he's never responded to musicals before, their connection to the lyrics and the song moved him.
"This is the first time in my life I've felt a connection to that kind of music," Mandel said. "This is probably the most magical moment I have ever experienced on America's Got Talent."
Judge Heidi Klum called the moment, "very powerful," and Sofia Vergara said, "I think this is a moment we're always going to remember… this song that obviously you were meant to have between the two of you."
All four judges stood up for the moms and voted yes to move them forward in the competition, with Cowell saying, "10,000 yeses." Viewers even got to see the teenage Beckham all grown up as he joined his mom on the stage.
America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m ET on NBC.
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