Luke Bryan Sings National Anthem in Honor of His Late Niece [Watch]
It's always an honor to sing the National Anthem, but Luke Bryan took it to a new level of importance on Thursday night (Feb. 13) when he sang it in memory of his late niece, who died when she was just seven months old.
It was "Hockey Has Heart Congenital Defect Awareness Night" at Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators faced the New York Islanders, and Bryan was on hand to not only sing the anthem, but also appear as a representative of the Brett Boyer Foundation.
Bryan and wife Caroline lost their niece Sadie Brett Boyer in 2017 due to complications of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), which is caused when the heart or blood vessels near the heart do not form properly before birth. The Foundation now works to raise awareness for CHD and fund research to fund advance treatment options.
So when Bryan walked onto the ice to sing and knelt down alongside two other young CHD patients, it was an incredibly touching moment. Making it even more emotional was the fact that there were more than 200 people in the audience who have also been affected by the disease, according to the Tennessean.
Unfortunately, Caroline Bryan was unable to attend the event because she had just come down with the flu, according to a share on her Instagram Stories.
Bryan's performance took place just hours before country superstar shared a new song "Born Here, Live Here, Die Here," which is the title track of his seventh studio album that is set for release on April 24.
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