As her stepmother's social media campaign gained momentum, the renowned pop icon pre-selected the nine-year-old to be the recipient of the coveted fedora during her Friday night's sold-out concert in Sydney. The unforgettable moment came to fruition for Scarlett Oliver, a die-hard Taylor Swift fan and a brave warrior fighting cancer, when she was chosen to receive the highly sought-after "22" hat from the megastar during her weekend concert in Sydney.
Scarlett, a Perth native, is enduring a relentless battle against an aggressive and incurable brain cancer, revealed by her stepmother, Natalie. On a dedicated Facebook fan page for Swift, Natalie shared Scarlett's heartfelt wish to meet the beloved singer-songwriter. "Scarlett, a nine-year-old from Perth, was diagnosed last October with a high-grade glioma — a relentless brain cancer without a cure," Natalie wrote on the fan page earlier this week, a screenshot of which was shared widely.
After the Make-A-Wish foundation couldn't grant Scarlett's dream of meeting Swift, Natalie and Scarlett relied on the "power of social media and the kindness of generous individuals" to secure tickets for the concert. Natalie expressed her heartfelt hope, stating, "Scarlett is ecstatic and dreams of receiving the iconic '22' hat from Taylor. We all know she deserves it."
Throughout Swift's blockbuster Eras Tour, the singer has made it a tradition to gift a black fedora, worn during her performance of "22" from her 2013 album Red, to a fan selected from the audience. In a moving display of compassion, Swift leaned down from the stage, embracing Scarlett and gracefully placing the hat on her head. The crowd erupted in cheers as Swift tenderly kissed Scarlett's hand before resuming her performance.
The emotional exchange capped off Swift's record-breaking string of concerts in Australia, as she prepares to take her tour to Singapore next week. The Friday night concert, briefly delayed by inclement weather, coincided with the announcement of a special edition of her forthcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, featuring the bonus track "The Albatross." Just a week earlier, she had unveiled an initial special edition of the album with the bonus track "The Bolter."
