Dad who has ALS and dementia lights up every time his daughter sings to him and it warms our heart

A father-daughter relationship is special. They understand each other like no one else and always have the best time together. This special bond is evident in a sweet video posted by a daughter and TikTok user Natalie Renee, where she can be seen singing to her father his favorite song, River (It's Coming on Christmas) by Joni Mitchell, while he holds her hand. He tried to sing a few lines along with her even as he appears to get emotional during the song and starts crying toward the end. According to MajicallyNews, the father has a rare form of dementia and was recently diagnosed with ALS. Renee captioned this video: "Singing one of our favorites together. My dad has been having trouble speaking recently but every time we sing together he lights up and joins in as best as he can." The video appears to have been filmed at a birthday celebration as there is a "Happy Birthday" banner in the background. 

This emotional moment between the father and daughter melted many hearts on the internet. A user wrote, "Such a nuanced moment… joy and pain. The love is palpable. I am crying  you have a beautiful, strong, grace-filled voice." 

"You have the most beautiful voice and I can't imagine your dad being anything but proud," another wrote. "What a special moment. Your voice is absolutely beautiful. Bless you and your dad," said another. "Was not ready to cry this hard right now. Thank you for sharing- good heavens music is powerful," wrote one more.

The video soon went viral with more than 62,000 views. Renee thanked everyone for watching the video and listening to the music. "It's always safe to cry with me in my Lil corner so let it out if you need. Music is a powerful thing. Love is eternal," she wrote. In a similar video, another daughter, Bailey posted a TikTok video of a difficult conversation she had with her dad, who has dementia. Scott, the father, doesn't think he is her dad and struggles when she calls him dad.

However, he can still see that she means something to him, and it's beautiful when he expresses it. "Some days are easier than others... I miss you dad, but I love you very much, Scott," Bailey captioned the video. In the clip, Scott says that although he doesn't understand why or how he has "feelings" for his daughter, he is aware that he knows her and that she is significant to him. She says in the video, "In my mind and in my heart, you're my dad, and you will always be my dad." It makes him uncomfortable for her to call him dad, but he accepts her offer to refer to him as Scott rather than dad to help him feel more at ease. "I love you too," her dad tells her. "We're family."

Bailey, along with her sister Paige, became Scott's full-time caregiver in February when she welcomed her dad into her home after he'd been in an accident.  She organized a GoFundMe to fundraise for her father's care. "He was diagnosed with dementia along with a few other things that have made him permanently disabled. He will need 24/7 care, and since I am already a caregiver for my mom, he is coming to live with me."