NBC 14-year-old Hailey Mia is among the top five finalists on season 21 of 'The Voice.'
Hailey Mia’s journey on “The Voice” began with Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande turning around for her blind audition performance of Tate McRae’s “You Broke Me First.”
Now-14-year-old Hailey was just 13 when she auditioned for “The Voice” coaches and decided to join Team Ariana. During the Battle Rounds, Ariana declared Raquel Trinidad the winner of a battle against Hailey, almost bringing her journey on “The Voice” to an end. But Kelly Clarkson used her one remaining steal on Hailey who has now earned a spot in the top five.
During the blind auditions, a pre-taped interview with Hailey and her mother revealed that Hailey had a rare eye condition as a child called double elevator palsy. Hailey’s Mia explained that “basically means the brain starts to register that eye as a non-working eye and slowly the vision just kind of starts going away.”
What happened with Hailey’s eye condition and does it still affect her today? Here’s what you need to know.
Hailey Had Surgery When She Was 8 Years Old
According to Hailey Mia’s cast bio on the NBC website, she underwent surgery for her eye condition when she was just eight years old. The surgery was successful, with Hailey regaining over 30% of her vision.
Hailey cites music as “the driving force that got her through it all” in her cast bio. Double elevator palsy, also known as monocular elevation deficiency, is characterized by an “inability to elevate one eye above the horizontal plane,” according to The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Left untreated, it can result in one eye being pointed downward compared to the other eye.
The condition is considered rare and is treated with surgery or special prism glasses.
How Hailey Mia Has Been Keeping Up With Schoolwork While on ‘The Voice’
Unlike the rest of the top five contestants on season 21 of “The Voice,” Hailey Mia is still a high school student. How is she juggling schoolwork and competing on a reality show?
“It’s overwhelming,” Hailey told Parade. “It’s like you’re living two separate lives, where you go back to the normalcy of kind of being home because you are still doing school online virtual and then seconds later having to go onstage singing. It is two different worlds, but it is easy to manage when you get into the groove of things and know what you’re doing.”
Hailey’s mother Gina has been helping her stay on top of everything and as it turns out, Hailey isn’t the only contestant Gina has helped this season.
“Gina’s so kind and loving. She’s such a mother,” contestant Jeremy Rosado told Parade before he left the competition. “She shows up with words of wisdom and encouragement…While it is incredibly tough for Hailey and she is carrying more than the rest of us with school and everything, it is a blessing to have your person here with you. Gina is like that for a lot of us. She’s amazing.”
The season 21 finale of “The Voice” airs Tuesday, December 14 at 9 p.m. Eastern time on NBC.
READ NEXT: Blake Shelton ‘Purposely’ Didn’t Invite Adam Levine to His Wedding