At the ‘America’s Got Talent’ auditions, Mandy Harvey of St. Cloud, Florida, walked the stage with some

musicians and a sign-language interpreter. She acknowledged that from the age of 18, she had been deaf.

She devised a plan to resume singing after deciding not to let it defeat her. She performed an original

song she had written about her effort to overcome her disability and not let it define her during her audition.

She stood barefoot for Harvey’s song performance so she could use her feet to feel the floor vibrate

to the beat of the music. Her lovely voice and stirring lyrics made for a wonderful performance.
Before she had even finished, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.

The judges and crowd gave Harvey a standing ovation. Everyone had been awestruck by her beautiful singing and her spirit of resistance.

Mandy Harvey shed a few tears at the great response, but those tears quickly turned to amazement

and excitement when Simon Cowell reached over and touched the golden buzzer to advance her directly to the live shows.

Cowell remarked, ‘That was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen and heard.’ He sped up to

the stage and embraced Mandy tightly before kissing her on the cheek. He clearly had a sincere admiration for you.

The only person standing in the way of your success is you, as demonstrated by this young woman’s strength and perseverance in the face of hardship. Everything else is simply a roadblock.