The one-child policy in China was in effect only until a couple of years ago, affecting millions of babies, the majority of the girls.
Thirteen years ago, a one-month-old baby girl was left in a cardboard box near a train station in Hunan and taken to an orphanage. That’s when her life turned around, thanks to Chuck and Kim Walker. Today, she is a singing sensation named McKenzie “Kenzie” Grace Walker who is using her powerhouse vocals to praise the name of Jesus and make His name known throughout the world.
But Kenzie’s miraculous journey never could have been made possible without the faithfulness of her parents who felt a specific calling upon their lives to adopt the little girl. The couple already had one son and one daughter, but “we just had a feeling that our family wasn’t complete,” Kim explained.
Within days of arriving in China, the adoption was completed, and they flew home to introduce her to her siblings. At this point, Kenzie was one year old, and though she couldn’t speak yet, the Walkers were about to find out that their little one was made to be a voice unto the world.
“When we got home from China, we just walked in the door, and we had a chime clock in our kitchen,” recalls Kim. “She heard the chime, and she walked up to it and looked at it and mimicked the sound exactly on pitch.” Then she started imitating other sounds around the house, including the couple’s rooster alarm clock, and her mimicry was always eerily perfect.
“Wherever we went, she would hum along with the music. It became obvious that it was just a part of who she was,” Kim said. “She would sing as she was playing, even when friends were over, she’d plan these elaborate programs … It was just; it was a part of her everyday world.”
By the time she was five, she was already performing in front of crowds and told her parents she wanted to be a “famous singer” when she grows up. Now her dream has come true. She’s performed all over the United States.
From belting the National Anthem for three consecutive years at Houston Astros games to singing for thousands of adoring fans at her concerts, Kenzie has certainly come a long way from humming to the tune of chime clocks. In March of 2015, she signed a record deal through Mansion Entertainment to be distributed by Sony/RED.
Kenzie’s passions extend far beyond music. She has also orchestrated efforts to help orphaned children in China find their forever home, just like she did. She has partnered with an international organization to raise awareness about the plight of orphans and to raise funds for the construction of orphanages.
