Cowell, fellow panelists and the audience were left nearly speechless after the 30-year-old Ohio native casually mentioned her devastating cancer prognosis and delivered a moving original anthem called “It’s Okay.”
“Your voice is stunning,” Cowell said.
In a made-for-television moment, the often persnickety judge shockingly told her: “I’m not going to give you a yes.”
“I’m going to give you something else,” he continued, pushing the Golden Buzzer to advance Nightbirde (her stage name) to the live rounds.
Marczewski noted that she had a “2% chance of survival, but 2% is not 0%.”