Brennan Simkins was 6 when doctors diagnosed him with acute myeloid leukemia in 2009. He received a total of four bone marrow transplants, but the disease continued to wreak havoc on his immune system. Turner Simkins, his father, turned to music during this difficult time, penning a song titled "Possibilities." He pitched it to Darius Rucker, who jumped at the opportunity to record it for all the people involved at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Taste of Country notes.
"We had gotten ourselves into the mindset of 'Here we go again,'" Turner told the Augusta Chronicle about how the family felt after the fourth transplant.
A friend advised Turner to write a song to take his mind off the situation. The family never gave up hope, and Brennan continued to fight. In 2011, his leukemia went into remission and he has been doing well ever since.
"Music is really good at giving people hope to think things are going to get better. That's what this song is all about," Rucker says in the video below before he and his band launch into "Possibilities" as Brennan and his family watch from the recording booth. "I think a lot of parents, when their kids get sick, hope is so hard to find. When I heard it, I was excited to do it."
Patients at the hospital were also included on the track, singing backup for Rucker.
"It's about gratitude and the gifts we always have, regardless of our circumstances," Turner explained. "It's a song about faith, friends, family and possibilities."
Rucker released a holiday album in October titled Home for the Holidays. Sheryl Crow joined him for "Baby, It's Cold Outside." He also shared "Homegrown Honey" in September, which will be included in his upcoming album that has yet to be titled.
