Kechi Okwuchi | |
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Born | October 29, 1989 |
Known for | America's Got Talent Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 survivor |
Kechi Okwuchi (born October 29, 1989) is a Nigerian-American singer and motivational speaker.[1] She was one of the two survivors in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash on December 10, 2005, and a finalist at the twelfth season of America's Got Talent in 2017.[2]
Sosoliso plane crash
[edit]Okwuchi was one of the two survivors in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash on December 10, 2005, that claimed 107 lives, 59 of which were her school mates from Loyola Jesuit College. She received third degree burns over 65% of her body and was given a 30% chance of survival.[3]
Okwuchi was air-lifted to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa for immediate medical attention and treatment,[4] and later to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, Texas, United States where she has undergone over a hundred reconstructive surgeries.[5][6]
Life after plane crash
[edit]In 2015, Okwuchi graduated from the University of Saint Thomas, in Houston, Texas, United States, with a First Class Degree. She was the student speaker at the Commencement Ceremony.[7]
Okwuchi was a speaker at TedxEuston where she gave a talk titled Girls- know thyself.[8] Kechi later went on to take part in the twelfth season of America's Got Talent in 2017 as a singer, and finished the competition as a finalist.[2] She later participated in America's Got Talent: The Champions in 2019, where Simon Cowell gave her the golden buzzer, sending her straight to the final, but in the final she didn't come in the top 5.
She has performed at sporting events and other events throughout the United States, South Korea and Nigeria.[3] Okwuchi was chosen to headline Utah's 8th Annual Women of Worth Utah in 2019.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Kechi Okwuchi". www.espeakers.com. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ a b "VIDEO: Sosoliso crash survivor, Kechi, stuns crowd at America's Got Talent finals". Punch Newspapers. September 20, 2017. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ a b Ryan Bergeron (28 June 2019). "'America's Got Talent' finalist proves there is life after tragedy". CNN. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ "Crash Survivor in S/African Hospital, Mother Speaks[permanent dead link]," This Day
- ^ "Enter the Den 2007-2008 [dead link]," Loyola Jesuit College
- ^ promptnewsonline (2018-02-05). "Kechi Okwuchi, Sosoliso crash survivor on 'Thank You' visit to SPDC". Prompt News. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ "Fulfilled Promise – a Plane Crash Survivor Graduates". The National Herald. 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- ^ Girls - know thyself | Kechi Okwuchi | TEDxEuston, retrieved 2019-08-24
- ^ Curtis, Larry D. (2019-08-21). "Airline crash survivor Kechi Okwuchi featured at Women of Worth gala". KJZZ. Retrieved 2019-08-24.