Western New York Girl Has Katy Perry in Awe with Idol Audition

Western New Yorkers already who know they'll be rooting for on this season of American Idol.

Brianna Collichio from Spencerport is moving on to Hollywood.

There's more reasons to cheer Brianna on than just her connection to Western New York, she's overcome a lot to get the Idol golden ticket.

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Brianna was born with cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung condition that can make everyday activities challenging, let alone belting out a big song.

While she started singing at age 6, she didn't have the confidence to audition until her sister, Sentina, posted a video of Brianna singing on TikTok.

According to WGRZ:

"I was like there's no way this is going to go viral but I was like, if it goes viral, then I will audition for 'American Idol,' " Collichio said.

More than 1 million views later, the 15-year-old from Spencerport had a promise to uphold.

Here's the TikTok video Brianna's sister posted:

But, due to her illness, she almost didn't make her audition.

Brianna was sick and in the emergency room the day before her audition; the teen learned she needed surgery and wouldn't be able to make the audition.

That didn't stop her sister from helping her via TikTok again:

"She took some videos of me singing in the hospital, and she put it on her TikTok and explained the situation, and asked if people would tag 'American Idol' to see if maybe they would give me a private audition," Collichio said.

"American Idol" reached out, letting Brianna know she would have an audition no matter what. That's despite having to postpone it two more times due to additional surgeries. -WGRZ

She had the chance to audition in front of the Idol judges and impressed them enough to get three solid yesses to send her to Hollywood.

"I've always wanted to inspire but I didn't actually realize I really did," Collichio told WGRZ.

"That's the most amazing thing about American Idol. Whether I make it to the end or not, I already feel like I've won."