It took six months of social media campaigning for one of Selena Yorke's dreams to come true: meeting Taylor Swift.
"She hugged her," described Selena's mom Carianne in a Facebook post about the about the moment the pop superstar met her daughter after Swift's Vancouver concert on Saturday.
Selena, 11, was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia last year, a rare degenerative neuro-muscular disease that will progressively affect her ability to speak and walk. There is no known cure.
“I hope so much there will be a cure and I won’t have this inside me anymore,” Selena told CBC News in an interview.
Selena is one of 15,000 people known to have Friedreich’s Ataxia worldwide. Despite her diagnosis, her optimism and resolve have stayed strong; she turns to Swift’s music to help her cope with the realities of her disease.
“I like her because she’s awesome and because her music is inspiring,” Selena told Global News.
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Taylor Swift
Swift is currently on a North American and Oceania tour, scheduled to headline 58 shows by its end. To the Yorke family's excitement, a Vancouver show date was announced.
“I just want to put a smile on her face and give her a memory that will last a lifetime,” explained Carianne on a Facebook group she set up to help make her daughter’s dream of meeting Taylor Swift come true.
The meeting was set up on Friday by someone on Swift’s team after they caught Selena's TV appearance on Global BC. After the meeting was arranged, Selena’s mom turned to Twitter, thanking the pop superstar.
The “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” singer played a sold-out show to a roaring crowd of 42,000 on Saturday, the Province reported.
Swift is one of music's biggest acts today, having sold more than 75 million albums worldwide. Her next show is in Pittsburgh on July 6.
