Doctors told Illinois boy he’d never walk or talk. ‘Now I’m jammin’ to Keith Urban’

A 6-year-old boy who has defied medical odds shared a heartfelt moment with country music star Keith Urban during a recent concert in Peoria, Illinois.

Kellen Hammock, who according to WCIA was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was born, had a chance to meet his idol during the Friday, Nov. 4, concert.

Kellen’s condition, which is caused by “an abnormal buildup of fluid in the ventricles deep within the brain,” led him to undergo 10 surgeries and have to wear protective goggles, WCIA reported. He walked for the first time when he was 3, his mother, Whitney Donaldson, told Music Mayhem.

She told the website that Kellen is “completely enamored” with Urban and often reenacts his live performances that he watches at home. So when tickets went on sale for Urban’s Peoria show, Kellen’s parents wasted no time in purchasing front-row tickets.

A sign Kellen was holding as he was sitting on his father’s shoulders got the attention of Urban.

“I wasn’t suppose to walk. I wasn’t suppose to talk. Now I’m jammin’ to Keith Urban,” the boy’s sign read.

Urban paused his show to talk with Kellen and his family, signing a cardboard guitar Kellen brought with him. Urban gave Kellen a hug after he was told of the boy’s story.

Donaldson said they were “memories that will last a lifetime.”

The interaction “fulfilled a dream” for Kellen, his mother told Music Mayhem.

“As parents of a special needs child, we have seen Kellen beat every obstacle thrown his way, with a smile on his face and the best personality,” Donaldson told WCIA. “The fact that Keith Urban was humble enough to stop his concert, speak with our son, ask about his story, and give him a hug, it was the best feeling as parents watching our son’s dreams come true.”