Taylor Swift has demonstrated an extraordinary generosity in honoring her father, Scott Swift, by making a magnanimous donation of $1 million to the American Heart Association. PEOPLE can exclusively attest to this pop megastar's act of kindness, which is in remembrance of her 73-year-old father's quintuple bypass surgery earlier this year. With this personal contribution, Taylor, at the age of 36, will help propel ongoing scientific research, intensify prevention and treatment efforts, and expand access to life-saving care for every community, as stated in a press release.
"Taylor Swift's remarkable generosity will create lasting change far beyond its financial value," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "Her family's experience with cardiovascular disease is all too common, affecting nearly half of American adults." Brown further noted that Taylor has "long been associated with the symbol of heart hands," and that at the American Heart Association, they proudly use that same gesture to honor all those affected—mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, spouses, and so many others.
In July, PEOPLE confirmed that Scott had undergone quintuple bypass surgery just over one month prior and was in the process of recovery. Taylor, her brother Austin, and their mother Andrea—who has been married to Scott for 37 years—were by Scott's side throughout the surgery and recovery process.
Scott's procedure was initiated after a check-up when his doctor noticed something that led to the operation. However, it was not the result of a heart attack. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Coronary artery bypass surgery creates a new path for blood to go around a blocked or partially blocked artery in the heart." During Taylor's first appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce's New Heights podcast in August, she addressed the "really intense" surgery her dad had and noted that "it all happened really quick."
While Taylor said Scott had a "perfect EKG" every time he went to the doctor for an annual physical, a cardiac stress test revealed five blockages in his heart. Despite Scott's insistence that both Taylor and Austin were "busy" and did not need to come down for the surgery, the "Wood" singer immediately met up with the family at the hospital and eventually moved in with him for the summer as he recovered.
Taylor recalled her dad doing a "comedy act" when he woke up from surgery. "He was the funniest he's ever been, and he's usually really funny," she said. When Taylor told her father he had five blockages removed, Scott replied, "Well, you see, I come from a very competitive family." For Taylor, it felt like "a very parent-child reversal in a lot of ways." "My brother and I were each taking shifts in the ICU and staying with him 24/7," she added. Taylor further described the experience as "surreal."
