Taylor Swift fans, inspired by her history of holiday gift-giving — the superstar musician has been known to send boxes of “Swiftmas” presents to random fans in the past — have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the American Cancer Society in honor of Andrea Swift, the singer’s mom who is battling cancer.
The campaign, which runs through Dec. 25, has a goal of raising $13,000; almost 400 fans have already donated nearly $10,000.
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“As a fandom we have been long aware of Andrea Swift’s cancer diagnosis,” the page reads. “Taylor recently revealed in interviews that she has suffered a relapse and wrote a touching and emotional song to her mom. … Taylor has given graciously throughout her life and career to fans and numerous charities. This Swiftmas, we want to give back to her family as she has given to us for the past 13+ years.”
Swift herself has contributed to at least one GoFundMe page. When Trinity Foster, a 16-year-old girl with stage IV osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, created a GoFundMe page to raise money to pay for her treatment, the page caught the singer’s eye. She donated $10,000 and added a personal note.
Andrea Swift’s Cancer Journey
Swift’s mom was initially diagnosed with cancer in 2015. The disease was caught after her kids convinced her to see a doctor for some routine screenings. Swift shared the experience with fans on Tumblr at the time.
“I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know,” Swift wrote. “She wanted you to know because your parents may be too busy juggling everything they’ve got going on to go to the doctor, and maybe you reminding them to go get checked for cancer could possibly lead to an early diagnosis and an easier battle.”
In a piece she wrote for Elle earlier this year, Swift revealed that her mom was battling cancer for a second time. She said the experience taught her to not sweat the small stuff.
“Both of my parents have had cancer, and my mom is now fighting her battle with it again,” Swift wrote. “It’s taught me that there are real problems and then there’s everything else. My mom’s cancer is a real problem. I used to be so anxious about daily ups and downs. I give all my worry, stress, and prayers to real problems now.”
She also put some of that stress and worry into her art. When discussing the decision to write “Soon You’ll Get Better” and put it on the new album, Swift said that it was really hard for her to get those feelings out.
The 29-year-old singer spoke about the inspiration for the song in a YouTube Live session ahead of her album’s August release. “That was really, really hard to write,” she said of the song. “It was just a family decision whether to even put it on the album. We as a family decided to [do it], and it’s something I’m so proud of, but it’s just really hard. I can’t sing it. It’s hard to just emotionally deal with that song.”
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