Midlands teen goes viral after singing National Anthem at Columbia Fireflies game

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - It’s one of the most well-known songs, sung before ceremonies, school gatherings and sporting events.

In front of coaches, players and adoring fans, 13-year-old Sawyer McCarthy sang a song that brought tears to the eyes of those in attendance at a Columbia Fireflies game.

A video of Sawyer singing the Star-Spangled Banner at the game quickly went viral. With over 9 million views on Facebook, the video has reached people not just in South Carolina, or even the United States, but the world.

“There were people from South Africa, Australia, Germany. There were people from New Zealand and Canada. A lot of Canadians actually commented and said wonderful things. What I think is beautiful about it is that it’s America’s National Anthem. But Sawyer’s voice has had the ability to not just unite America, but nations. That’s so unique and that is Sawyer,” said Brianna McCarthy, Sawyer’s mom.

John Oliver, the promotions and fan engagement manager with the Columbia Fireflies, said Sawyer sang “God Bless America” for the Fireflies last year on the Fourth of July and they were eager to have Sawyer back at the ballpark to sing again.

“You saw the video; you heard the voice. We just had to have him out here in front of our fans. Honestly, I’m just glad that people are able to see the gift that Sawyer has and that he’s able to put those smiles on peoples’ faces,” Oliver said.

Sawyer is a natural-born talent, who has never had a voice lesson before in his life. His parents say it’s a “gift from the Lord.”

However, his young life has not been without hardships. When Sawyer was just 3 months old, his parents noticed he wasn’t squinting when his mom was walking with him outside in the stroller. It was an unexpected moment that changed their lives forever.

“When we went to the doctor, they did an MRI of his brain and they told us he was missing the middle of his brain, the midline structure. After we did the scan, they took us to an ophthalmologist and they told us he has Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. With that comes blindness, sometimes learning disabilities, cognitive disability and loss of gross motor functions. But, Sawyer is just your typical 13-year-old. He does have some issues in those areas, but really just his personality outshines all of it,” Brianna said.

Sawyer has never let his disability be an excuse. When he was 3-years-old, his parents noticed he had an amazing ear for music.

“He has the ability to listen to something and harmonize beautifully with it. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s blind and his hearing senses are heightened. He picks up on things and learns them very quickly,” said Patrick McCarthy, Sawyer’s dad.

His love for singing has only grown. Sawyer doesn’t complicate things, he simply sings to bring people joy.

“I love singing for people and what can I say? Inspiring others maybe, yeah to inspire others, and to make people smile,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer’s parents always knew he was special, but they didn’t know just how much his voice would allow him to share God’s love with others.

“When I first held this little baby in my arms, I knew that he had a gift, I knew he was different. I knew he was set apart and this was before I knew he was blind, I just knew in my spirit that God had created him for something far bigger than we had ever imagined. So, I was patient. I knew that when the moment came, the Lord would use him. It’s beautiful to be able to sit back now and know that this is the moment that He was preparing us for,” Brianna said.

Sawyer has differences and challenges that many others do not experience. At the end of the day, he’s just a normal, fun-loving teen with dreams of singing, maybe even on America’s Got Talent, despite his nerves about what Simon Cowell might say.

“I’m more worried about Simon because he’s going to be like ‘Oh Sawyer, I don’t think I really enjoyed that,’ because Simon likes to insult a lot,” Sawyer said.

He’s humble and soft-spoken, but when Sawyer sings it resonates even deeper than words.

“He may have trouble communicating like a normal conversation, but I think that when he sings, that’s how he communicates,” Brianna said.

No matter where he sings, whether it’s church, school, around the house with his family, or at Segra Park, his voice travels further than he could ever imagine.

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