Touching moment dad holds and softly sings to his preemie baby for the first time in the NICU

A video that is sure to bring tears to your eyes is going viral on TikTok, and it's easy to see why. Daniel Johnson, aka @fritojohnson89 on TikTok, can be seen cradling his premature son in the neonatal intensive care unit while singing softly to him. As he sings, the baby's tiny hands can be seen raising in a moment of worship. In the voiceover, Johnson explains that he was singing a worship song to his son when he made the incredible gesture. This moment is truly one that needs to be seen to be believed. Johnson, 33, was full of emotion when he held his newborn son, Remington Hayze Johnson, for the first time. He began singing a verse from the worship song “Hallelujah Here Below” by Elevation Worship.

As he sang, Remington stretched out his small right hand, seemingly praising along with dad. Johnson was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn’t make it through the rest of the song. In the caption of the video, Johnson detailed how Remington was born four months early with only a 20% chance of survival. Now, at 2 and a half months old, Remington has overcome the odds. The video has now gone viral with over 1.2 million views and over 235.8k likes on TikTok.

“Proof that God is faithful. Born 4 months early and given a 21% chance of survival. Today we are 2 1/2 months old giving God all the praise He deserves,” Johnson wrote. The family has been filled with joy when Johnson sang “Hallelujah” to his son at the hospital, and Emily was the one who captured that moment on film. She said that the experience was unlike anything she ever witnessed before. “It shows you at that moment that God is here and everything is going to be alright,” she told Good Morning America.

Remington was born early at 22 weeks and has been in the NICU at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas since. He has had to receive a variety of treatments to help his underdeveloped body, such as steroids for his lungs and shots for his eyes. But despite the odds, Remington is doing great and the family couldn't be more proud of him. Johnson’s singing of “Hallelujah” to his son is a reminder that a family’s love and faith is a powerful thing.

“We went from a full respirator with full feeds, had to have his eyes covered up all the time, had to be in an isolette that was regulating his temperature for him to … a CPAP, from the CPAP to the nasal cannula, and now they're weaning him off of that. And we've gone from having meds every three to six hours to he's off all medications now,” Emily Johnson said. Johnson expressed disbelief at the sudden surge of popularity they had experienced, recalling their journey since Remington's arrival as a rollercoaster of highs and lows. He noted that his faith had been key in helping him through it all. "It's been an emotional ride, and I think the video captured my feelings perfectly - Remington is truly a miraculous little one," he commented.