13-year-old Alex Fishman, a 7th grader from Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania has overcome a lot, from not being able to communicate to now singing in front of a crowd.
Alex is a student at Cedarbrook Middle School, and on Tuesday, he participated in the school's talent show.
His mother, Hope Fishman, says he has autism, but that didn't stop him from wowing the crowd with his performance of the song "Here I Go Again."
He chose that song because it symbolizes freedom. Last year, he decided for the first time he didn’t want an aid anymore at school. So the song by Whitesnake has added meaning.
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"Thank you so much for giving me the compassion and the love, and the help that you gave me and encouragement," Alex said.
The moment at the school's talent show even surprised Fishman. She wasn't there but has lost count of how many times she's watched the video.
"Probably 200, over and over again," Fishman said. "I show it to everybody. I mean people I don't even know on the street. Can I show you something? Cause it just means so much to me. It does."
Fishman tells NBC10 that Alex couldn’t communicate at the age of four. Not only is he now talking and thriving, but he is also singing one of his favorite songs.
"They told me he wasn’t going to be able to do something like this," Fishman said "That he wasn’t going to feel anything. The first time they tell you you’re child has autism. There’s this list, can’t do this, can’t do that, won’t do this, won’t do that. I said to myself he’ll do this.”
Well, Alex is proving everyone wrong. The crowd went wild as he sang his heart out.
He felt welcomed and like he fit in, Fishman added. And she admits that’s all she ever wanted as a mother.
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