His daughter Molly "just comes alive" when she hears one singer's music, Don Hess has long noticed.

Molly, who was born with cerebral palsy, isn't able to verbally communicate it, but she has made it clear that she loves the music of Christian contemporary singer Nicole C. Mullen.

For Molly's 18th birthday Sunday (which is Dec. 18, making his daughter "18 on 18," as Don Hess noted), her father thought up a special gift for Molly involving her favorite singer.

Why not try to bring Mullen here as a special birthday gift for his daughter?

Not thinking it was likely he could land the singer for a concert, Hess still contacted Mullen's representatives and found out that the singer wasn't yet performing this weekend and would be honored to come.

So the Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning performer of such Christian contemporary standards as "Redeemer" and "Call on Jesus" will present Molly Hess with a very special gift Sunday.

She will perform a concert for Molly at 6:30 p.m. at Leffler Chapel, 1 Alpha Drive, on the Elizabethtown College campus.

And, thanks to donations from others with the family's church, LifeGate Community Church of Elizabethtown, along with family and friends, the concert for Molly Hess in the 840-seat auditorium is being presented for free.

Doors will open Sunday at 5:45 p.m., with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. An offering will be taken for local ministries.

As for having a famous award-winning singer like Mullen come here on such short notice, you might want to "call it a Christmas miracle, a birthday miracle, or just knowing Molly is alive is quite a miracle," family friend E. Daniel Martin, of Elizabethtown, said.

Molly is the fourth of five children for Hess and his wife, Kathy, who live in Manheim Township.

Don Hess said it's clear that the idea of giving his daughter such a special birthday present "just kind of resonated with people."

"People from church, family and friends, they all said, 'Hey, why don't we come up with the funds so we don't have to charge for tickets?'" Hess recalled.

Molly has never been able to walk, talk or care for herself. She is fed through a tube, and her communication is limited to certain sounds.

Molly tries to sing along when she hears Mullen's songs and some other worship music, her father said, and "it's precious to hear her do that."

"We thought we'd take a chance" to see if Mullen could perform here, he said, "and I'm glad we did. I kept thinking, 'Wouldn't it be nice if I just had the courage to give her (Mullen) a call?'"

Molly had survived a traumatic birth on Dec. 18, 1993, and at age 8 endured hip surgery, followed by 10 weeks of having casts on both legs up to her waist. Then, in her early teens, she had to be resuscitated three times during spinal fusion surgeries.

But through it all, "Molly has shown a will to live and a love of life," Martin said.

"She loves music, and she loves to smile," he said, adding that the Hesses and their other four children "have embraced Molly with loving care and a belief that she has a purpose and a destiny."

"They continue to believe that with God nothing is impossible and that Molly has a hope and a future."

Mullen also will perform at the Worship Center, in Leola, for its three weekend services: tonight at 7 and Sunday morning at 9 and 11.

More information is available at http://www.worshipcenter.org/.                              

The LifeGate church, where Don and Kathy Hess serve on the leadership team, is sponsoring Sunday evening's concert.

Mullen has been nominated for two Grammys, is the first African-American to win a Dove Award, Christian music's version of the Grammys, for Songwriter of the Year, and also sang for President George W. Bush and as part of Billy Graham's festivals.

And now having her come here "has really been a bright spot in our year," Don Hess said.

doconnor@lnpnews.com