Andrea Bocelli sings a final farewell to Elara, the blind 9-year-old girl who fell asleep each night to his voice

Just hours later, the storm hit. Their neighborhood was swallowed during the night. Rachel recalls holding Elara and her little brother, trying to flee through waist-high icy water. A sudden wave knocked them down. When she resurfaced… Elara was gone.

“She was just there… and then… nothing.”

Rescue teams searched through the night. She was found in the morning, nestled against the roots of an old oak tree, still clutching her small blue music player.

Her story moved the entire community. A local news station broadcast her rendition of “Time to Say Goodbye,” and someone sent it to Bocelli’s team. No one expected a reply.

But three days later, the unimaginable happened.

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