 They come up and just ask, is that the little girl that sings the National Anthem, is that little Marlena? And it makes me kind of proud. After several years of singing the National Anthem at events across the country, 20-year-old Marlena Van Hoos no longer belongs just to Johnson County. She's now considered part of the family by the Kentucky Wildcats, as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers, who invited Marlena to open Game 6 of the NBA Finals last summer. And she can definitely hear the crowd's cheer, but she can't see them. Marlena has been blind since birth and has faced challenges from the day she was born. When she was born, the doctors only gave her a year to live, and 20 years later, she's still here and she's accomplished a whole lot more than I've ever thought of, ever dreamed of her accomplishing. And she's got so much more to offer and to accomplish, she just needs to be heard. Marlena's mother, Teresa, says they knew Marlena had a gift for music by the time she was two. You know, there's little toys, you know, the piano toys, but she's always had one though, because she's always loved music, you know, and you can hear her playing right at a little lamb, or saying, you know, is that her playing? Her first public performance followed just a few years later, and Marlena instantly knew what she wanted to do in life. My first stage performance was when I was six years old and sang First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Fleck. I said I want to sing to reach out to people. And reach out, she has. When Marlena was 16, she was invited to sing the National Anthem before a UK women's basketball game, and the crowd's response surprised even Marlena. At that last line, and it was like, it was like, and the home up. In that situation, most people would freeze with fear, but not Marlena. I'm pumped up, loud and proud. I feel like I am blessed. Anyone who hears Marlena Vanhoose sing would argue with her as to who receives the biggest blessing. Reporting in Denver, Kentucky for EKB News, I'm Shannon Diskins.