Hollywood: Sad news for all McKenna fans: as of this writing, her journey in American Idol season 22 has officially ended.
However, her tunes like There Was Jesus, Hard To Say I Am Sorry, and Everywhere I Go will forever be engraved in our hearts.
The talented singer has an angelic voice that can melt anyone’s heart in seconds.
Key Takeaways
- McKennaa’s birth mother was Amy Ross Lopez, and she was also a musician.
- Her mother suffered from dangerous Lupus disease, which made her put her child up for adoption.
- McKennaa only knew about Amy when she turned 21; by then, she had already lost her.
And let’s be honest, we all cried when we heard the story of how she never got the opportunity to meet with her birth mother.
Back when McKenna was just a little child, her mother had put her up for a closed adoption. This meant she couldn’t know about her parents till she turned twenty-one.
By the time she turned 21, her parents had left this world.
But why would anyone put their own child up for adoption? There must have been a reason behind it, right?
The former American Idol contestant was originally born to Amy Ross Lopez (Mother).
Just like McKenna, her birth mother was also a musician.
Back when Amy was just 21, she was diagnosed with the dangerous Lupus disease.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks tissues and organs. Patients suffering from it go through unbearable pain.
Even after going through such pain, she decided to give life to her daughter, McKenna.
However, she was 22 years old at that time and had a very limited source of income.
Besides that, due to her physical limitations, she knew she couldn’t raise her daughter on her own.
So, for the sake of her child, she decided to give her up for adoption.
McKenna Lost Her Birth Mom In 2013
Amy’s physical condition went from bad to worse after giving up her daughter.
By 2006, she had already developed a chronic kidney disease with very poor renal function.
The condition was so bad that she had to go through dialysis 3 times a week.
However, Amy didn’t let physical limitations dictate her life.
The talented musician would often take her keyboards to the hospital, where she would play soulful music for other patients.
On the other hand, her then-partner, Derek, would schedule their musical performances according to her treatment.
But lupus and kidney disease had already done its damage.
By 2013, she was already infected with a blood infection that damaged her heart valve.
They had decided to go for an open heart surgery.
But before anything could happen, Amy suddenly had a cardiac arrest and lost her life.
At the time, McKenna was just 18 and still had no idea who her real mother was.
In 2016, when she finally figured out who her birth mother was, she had already lost her.
Such a sad fate for such a talented singer, right?
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Before American Idol, McKenna worked as a receptionist at a medical spa.
- McKenna tried her luck on American Idol when she was 14 but wasn’t selected.
- McKenna is originally from Arizona and graduated from Highland High School in 2016.
Why didn’t Amy’s family adopt McKenna after her birth ?