Mom of a Girl With Rett's Syndrome Aces Idol Audition

Last year, we were worried about American Idol being cruel to people with disabilities. This year, it looks like we may have the parent of a child with disabilities as a singer to support.

I missed the debut episode of this season's Idol last night, but a post on the blog The Special Parent clued me in this morning to the story of Angela Martin, a Chicago wedding singer who auditioned in Philadelphia and got a ticket to Hollywood. Martin's daughter has Rett syndrome, and if nothing else, her continued presence on the show will likely give us many heartwarming video moments like this one about her child and her supportive family, and maybe get the word out that having a child with special needs doesn't have to be the soul-crushing experience it's often depicted as.

It's hard to know how long anyone will last in these competitions, but Martin's voice seems strong enough, and it would be nice to have somebody win one of these things who has more important things going on in her life than becoming a star. Did you watch the show on Tuesday? What do you think of Martin's chances?