God Bless You Too, Darla: 4-year-old shakes Fenway foundation

Jan-Christian Sorensen
Contributing Writer

While the Red Sox staged a mammoth, 13-2 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night in their return to Fenway, it was four-year-old Darla Holloway who stole the show — not to mention the heart of anyone who happened to be watching NESN during the seventh-inning stretch.

Holloway, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy as part of her treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was on hand as part of the annual WEEI-NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon, and delivered one of the most stirring renditions of God Bless America you’ll ever witness.

Watch this:



Sporting a Jimmy Fund T-shirt and a tiny Red Sox tattoo on her left cheek, Darla didn’t miss a word of the anthem she had committed to memory, and held the Fenway Faithful enraptured during her delivery.

A Boston Police officer looks on proudly, a smile dancing at the corner of his mouth. Dustin Pedroia, whose eldest son Dylan recently turned four, looked like he might crack. Manager John Farrell wiped at his cheek. It may as well have been a tear he brushed away.

The crowd, of course, erupted, especially when Darla reached the crescendo on “…White with foaaaaaaaam!”

The Sox should take their cue from Darla and gain some inspiration from this as they head into the stretch drive.

Never Quit. Be Strong. Survive.

God Bless you too, Darla.

Keep singing. Keep fighting.

Twitter: jan_doh