On Friday, my husband called me and said, “Hey, um, Taylor Swift just donated $100,000 to our GoFundMe.” He asked, “Is it real?” and I replied, “Who else has $100,000 to donate?” Taylor’s incredible generosity helped our family reach our crowdfunding goal with a single six-figure donation. I was completely speechless, overwhelmed with gratitude, and just wanted to think of something that could make her as happy as she’s made us. Our family of four had been raising money for our daughter Laya’s medical treatment after she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer earlier this year. Laya is still undergoing frontline treatment; she has finished chemotherapy and will hopefully complete radiation by mid-November, before Thanksgiving. She must be sedated every day during radiation because she can’t move even slightly—the treatment has to be exact. The doctors have told us there’s only about a 65% chance that she will survive this diagnosis.

Laya has been a Swiftie since before she was born—I even felt her first kick while we were at the opening night of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Throughout her whole life, we’ve danced and listened to Taylor’s music together. The surprise donation from Taylor was just the beginning; the Swiftie community showed up in full force, matching almost all of Taylor’s contribution within 24 hours. Many fans donated $13, a nod to Taylor’s favorite number, bringing the total to nearly $330,000 and counting. Some even quoted her lyrics about family and protection. The support has lifted the financial burden completely off our shoulders. Despite all the negativity in the world, you can’t see it when you’re part of the Swiftie community—it’s nothing but kindness, love, and empowerment. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone couldn’t be a fan after this.