Daisy Doherty, of Noosa Heads, goes viral dancing in wheelchair at Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Melbourne

A young girl who has become accustomed to the unkind stares of strangers says Taylor Swift and 95,000 fans made her feel included for the first time in her life. See the heartwarming video

Non verbal and confined to a wheelchair, this nine-year-old Sunshine Coast girl has grown accustomed to the unkind and judgmental stares of strangers in her day-to-day life.

Attending a concert in another state with 95,000 others was not something her mother thought possible with her condition. Yet it turned out to be the most enchanting night full of smiles, singing, dancing, glitter, friendship bracelets, and an unmatched level of accessibility and inclusivity.

Daisy Doherty, of Noosa Heads, is living with an extremely rare genetic disorder known as PIGN-CDG.

Daisy Doherty went viral dancing in wheelchair at Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Melbourne. Picture – contributed.

Daisy is one of less than 100 children affected globally, and one of three in Australia. She attends Palmview State Special School four days a week and takes part in Nippers at Noosa and wheelchair basketball.

Her mother and full-time carer, Libby Doherty, said Daisy finds a lot of joy in music.

“Day to day she’s really happy, engaged, and loves school, sport and music,” Ms Doherty said.

“It’s hard to know what her life expectancy is or what her development will be like.

“Taylor Swift is her favourite. Her favourite song is Shake it Off which she loves to dance to.”

Daisy Doherty at Taylor’s Melbourne concert. Picture – contributed.

A video of Daisy and her carer Bianca has gone viral on TikTok, with more than 3 million views, dancing on the floor of the Melbourne MCG to Love Story.

“They did such a good job. The way they made it accessible and easy was something I’d never experienced before,” Ms Doherty said.

“I felt like we had the best seats in the house and they just did everything really well.”

Daisy with her carer Bianca at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Melbourne. Picture – contributed.

Not only were they catered for logistically, but Ms Doherty said it was truly heartwarming to see her daughter embraced by the crowd.

“The best part was how everyone was friendly and calm.

“Here on the coast Daisy gets stared at a lot by kids and adults. She suffers anxiety from it and puts her head down and tries to get away which is hard to watch.

“But at Taylor no one stared at her. They all smiled at her, offered her friendship bracelets, sang to her, and danced with her.

“For the first time in her life she felt included.”

Libby Doherty, Daisy Doherty, and her carer Bianca. Picture – contributed.

The loving mother said ensuring Daisy lives a comfortable and joy filled life was her goal.

“It’s really hard and can feel heavy at times but I try not to focus on her condition or the statistics we have about life expectancy,” Ms Doherty said.

“They’re based on a very small number of cases and probably about 50 per cent of those diagnosed have passed away.

“But treatments are developing quickly.”

Ms Doherty just returned from a conference in the US where she had a scholarship to learn more about the research going in to Daisy’s condition.

Daisy Doherty, of Noosa Heads, goes viral dancing in wheelchair at Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Melbourne. Picture – contributed.

“What really matters is that the person in front of me is happy, loved, developing, progressing and finding joy,” she said.

“It sounds cliche but we just have to live day to day.

“We don’t know what’s around the corner. Half the people I saw at the conference have lost children and that’s confronting and hard to imagine.

“We’re making choices that bring her happiness. We choose to prioritise Daisy and her joy every day.

“It was so great to have one of those moments of joy capture the world’s attention. We have been able to start some really important conversations around accessibility and inclusivity because of it.”

Daisy Doherty, of Noosa Heads, goes viral dancing in wheelchair at Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Melbourne. Picture – contributed.

Reflecting on the Taylor concert, Ms Doherty said it was probably the best night of Daisy’s life.

“It was a really scary chance to take but I’m so glad we went. It would have just been easier to watch it on TV,” she said.

“It was like an alternate reality.

“Everyone there was happy, helpful, and joyful. We had a wonderful time.”

You can donate to support medical research towards Daisy’s condition here.

Originally published as Daisy Doherty, of Noosa Heads, goes viral dancing in wheelchair at Taylor Swift Eras Tour in Melbourne