SUMTER, S.C.—
Kimberly Henderson never abandoned her dream of becoming a musician, even after having her first child when she was 16-years-old. After going to nursing school, the single mother continued singing at part-time gigs while raising her children.
Already caring for three children, Henderson discovered she was pregnant yet again.
“The crazy part of the story is that when I was pregnant with Vaida, I did not plan her at all,” Henderson said. “I was on birth control. I was like, Oh my god I cannot do this.
“When I was 12 weeks and six days along, I sat in an abortion clinic for six hours — I almost went through with it,” she said. “And then I left. Fast-forward seven months later, this baby’s in front of me and her dad’s not in her life. I didn’t even care at that point. I was like, I have this beautiful baby.”
Fast forward to 2014, when Henderson and the little Vaida survived a harrowing car accident. Riding in a Cosco car seat, Vaida was uninjured.
The same year, Henderson uploaded a video of her singing her daughter to sleep on Facebook. In a mere week, her video went viral with over 20 million views.
Inspired by her story and awed by her talent, Cosco Kids contacted Henderson. The car seat company teamed with Magic Beans Creative to fly Henderson and her daughter to Los Angeles, where the singer recorded her first single, “Tiny Hearts.”
“I got pregnant when I was 16 because I didn’t have a lot of direction,” Henderson told Yahoo News. “I’m not blaming that on anyone because that was my choice at the time . . . . That’s how ‘Tiny Hearts’ was inspired. I saw my friends going out to the movies and going on dates, and I’m at home with this 6-month-old. I’m like, What am I doing?”
As she’s approached by multiple TV Shows and recording companies, Henderson wants to share her story to inspire others.
“I feel like with women, even single moms, it’s empowering to just be able to say it’s not selfish to go after your dreams,” Henderson said. “I’m not saying neglect your kids. I’m saying teach your kids that it’s okay no matter what obstacles you have to still pursue your dreams.”
Overcoming three rejections from American Idol, a close call with abortion, and the everyday trials of motherhood granted Henderson inspiring perseverance.
“At the end of the day you realize somewhere between the sacrifices and the hopelessness and the hard times you find a light and that light is a little person that thinks you’re a superhero … and it makes everything else seem meaningless,” Henderson shared on Facebook.
The future looks bright for this busy mom as she looks forward to working as a musician.
“Wherever life takes me, I’ll go,” she said.