<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=19wUeB_0uzbaQKz00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=19wUeB_0uzbaQKz00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Carena Liptak</figcaption></figure><a href="https://tasteofcountry.com/tags/walker-hayes">Walker Hayes</a> recently made a young fan's day with a personal meeting, but the singer says that he got even more out of the special moment.It all started when Marty, a young boy in a wheelchair, met Hayes and asked about the singer's footprint tattoo. Hayes explained that he got it for his daughter Oakleigh, who <a href="https://tasteofcountry.com/walker-hayes-daughter-died-oakleigh-four-years-later/">died during childbirth</a> in June 2018."I told him that Oakleigh was in heaven. He said he knew someone there too. His dad," Hayes explains in the caption of the video he posted documenting the moment. "He lost his dad to cancer when he was five."Hayes and Marty shared an impromptu jam session during the meeting, singing the chorus of Hayes' hit single "AA" together. Of course, Marty took the final line of the chorus solo.As he reflected on the moment, Hayes couldn't help but think about how special the bond is between two people who've each lost someone."Just how amazing would it be if his dad, my dad, Oakleigh and Jesus were all together there ... watching us have this conversation!!!!!...Maybe they were," he writes."Anyway, the Lord gave me a massive hug through this remarkable young man's honesty and courage," the singer continues. "Marty, your version of AA is way, way, way ... better than mine. Thank you for blessing us tonight."<h2>Who Are Walker Hayes' Children?</h2><ul><li>Walker Hayes and his wife Laney have seven children, including Oakleigh.</li><li>They are parents to Lela, Chapel, Baylor, Beckett, Loxley and Everly.</li><li>The family often <a href="https://tasteofcountry.com/walker-hayes-thomas-rhett-kids-family-tour-advice/">tours</a> with their country star dad, and his kids frequently hop on stage with him to sing.</li><li>Hayes also has several songs inspired by his children, including "Chapel," "Taylor Swift" and "Lela's Stars."</li><li>Lela, who is his oldest child, helped come up with the "Fancy Like" TikTok dance that launched Hayes to superstardom in 2021.</li><li>The family often remembers Oakleigh each June on her birthday. Last year, they shared a family photo taken at her gravestone, which is etched with a C.S. Lewis quote reading "I was made for another world."</li></ul><a href="https://tasteofcountry.com/author/cliptak/">Carena Liptak</a> is an Associate Editor and staff writer at Taste of Country. She specializes in breaking country music news, interviews and lists. In particular, she’s got a soft spot for sad songs — check out her roundup of the <a href="https://tasteofcountry.com/sad-country-songs/">50 Saddest Country Songs of All Time</a>! </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Walker Hayes Bonds With Young Fan Over His Late Daughter [Watch]

Walker Hayes recently made a young fan's day with a personal meeting, but the singer says that he got even more out of the special moment. It all started when Marty, a young boy in a wheelchair, met Hayes and asked about the singer's footprint tattoo. Hayes explained that he got it for his daughter Oakleigh, who died during childbirth in June 2018.