In a wholesome moment, Gabe Merritt, a 17-year-old teen from the United States captured the internet’s attention with his moving rendition of the Indian National Anthem.
In the video, the teen who also suffers with an Autism Sprectrum Disorder (ASD) is seen singing the national anthem with deep sincerity and emotion, impressing viewers with his heartfelt performance.
The video was shared by Disha Pansuriya, an Indian-origin resident in the US, who expressed pride in Merritt’s singing.
“You feel proud when a 17-year-old American sings the Indian National Anthem,” she wrote in the post.
Pansuriya said that the teen has a remarkable ability to sing national anthems from numerous countries—yet India’s remains his favourite.
“Oh my god! My heart just smiled through this… I pray and wish he goes places with his exceptional talent,” the post concluded, echoing the sentiments of thousands moved by the performance.
Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms that appear within the first three years of life. Its formal diagnostic name is autism spectrum disorder.
The word “spectrum” indicates that autism appears in different forms with varying levels of severity. That means that each individual with autism experiences their own unique strengths, symptoms, and challenges.
Psychiatrists and other clinicians rely on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to define autism and its symptoms.
Autism is diagnosed when symptoms cause developmental challenges that are not better explained by other conditions.