September 22, 2012 — He’s only 8, but Save the Children’s newest Youth Ambassador, JD Malkin, is taking up the cause of child survival in a unique and meaningful way. A talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, JD is using the power of his music to spread the word to his 5,000 (and growing!) followers about our new campaign — Every Beat Matters. Sound familiar? OneRepublic, the band behind the new hit “Feel Again,” is using their own megaphone to raise awareness about the nearly 7 million children that die needlessly each year from largely preventable causes, and how frontline health workers can help.

Parents in this country don’t have to worry all that much about losing a child to diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. But they are among the leading causes stealing 19,000 young lives every day, 99 percent of them in the developing world. All of these deaths occur before these children reach their 5^th birthday. At age 5, JD was happy and healthy. He enjoyed playing soccer and the violin, which he picked up a year earlier. He had opportunities to visit his grandparents every year in California and get an education — he was so smart that he even skipped kindergarten! Children his age that grow up halfway around the world are not that fortunate, something that struck a chord in JD when he heard about Every Beat Matters. “I had a happy life when I was 5,” JD said. “I can’t believe that other children don’t make it to that age.”

To give back, JD performed — you guessed it — “Feel Again” at this year’s Social Good Summit. Check out his show-stopping performance by clicking the video at the top of the page!

Phil Carroll is the Associate Director of Media and Communications for Save the Children.