Young Lethbridge girl having chemotherapy misses out on Taylor Swift tickets

A brave Lethbridge girl was devastated to miss out on Taylor Swift tickets. But a kind stranger has given Tilly a sought-after opportunity to see the superstar live after reading about her plight.

Tilly Young. Picture: Mark Wilson

A Lethbridge nine-year-old going through chemotherapy will be able to go to Taylor Swift’s concert, with a good Samaritan offering her tickets after reading her story.

Tilly Young, who has a complex genetic condition called neurofibromatosis (NF) – which causes tumours to grow on nerves – was emotional when her mum, Stacy Walsh, wasn’t able to secure tickets to the pop sensation’s Eras tour show in Melbourne in February.

But Ms Walsh said after an article was published by the Geelong Advertiser telling Tilly’s story, she received a Facebook message from a mother offering two tickets.

Brave Tilly Young is excited to see Taylor Swift in concert. Picture: Mark Wilson

The woman had been among the lucky to get through the queue, and said she “had a feeling” while buying her own two tickets to grab extra.

“She said ‘it’s almost like it was fate’,” Ms Walsh said.

“I barely slept the night of getting the message – I couldn’t wait to wake Tilly up and tell her.”

The next morning, Ms Walsh said when she woke Tilly up to tell her the “amazing” news, Tilly thought it was a joke.

“She looked at me like I was playing a joke … but when she realised, her eyes were so wide,” Ms Walsh said.

“She was wired the whole day.

Kerrighan Darling, 9, who gave a ticket to a happy Tilly Young, 9. Picture: Mark Wilson

“We know there’s so many people who missed out, and we do feel so fortunate to get to go.”

Ms Walsh said Tilly was already preparing for the big night, doing research and hours of Googling to come up with a costume.

Her favourite song changes “week to week”, currently being a tie between Lavender Haze and Cruel Summer.

Ms Walsh said she and the good Samaritan would meet up, so their daughters could meet.

“Tilly hasn’t just got tickets, but also a friend for life,” she said.

Earlier

A Lethbridge mum has told of her heartbreak after missing out on Taylor Swift tickets for her nine-year-old daughter, who is having chemotherapy for a tumour.

Tilly Young, who has a complex genetic condition called neurofibromatosis (NF) – which causes tumours to grow on nerves – has been a Swiftie for the past two years. The music has helped her escape the ordeal of her condition and treatment.

Stacy Walsh, Tilly’s mum, said she was not prepared for just how daunting a task it was to try and get tickets to see Swift.

People queue for Taylor Swift tickets in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster really, I had heaps of friends from work on board trying to get me tickets,” Ms Walsh said.

“I guess it’s one of those things where there was probably half of Australia trying to get tickets as well. In the end, we had to give up.”

Tilly has been undergoing chemotherapy since July last year to shrink a non-cancerous tumour, and goes into hospital once a week.

Ms Walsh said listening to music gave her daughter a way to get away from her health battles.

Tilly Young. Picture: Mark Wilson

“Music for her is a bit of an escape. She puts the music on and goes to a happy place,” Ms Walsh said.

“She has started to listen to Taylor Swift over the past couple of years and watching her concerts that she has been doing around the world and looking at all the costumes and wanting to make a costume.”

Ms Walsh said it was disheartening that she was unable to get a ticket for her daughter. “It kind of broke my heart a bit that she was going to miss out,” she said.

“I got a bit teary seeing her emotion when we missed out. For her it’s something that she loves at the moment”.

More than four million Australians attempted to purchase tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

Originally published as Young Lethbridge girl having chemotherapy misses out on Taylor Swift tickets