Felipe Conrado has been a devoted fan of Taylor Swift for over 13 years. Thus, when the singer-songwriter announced that she would bring the "Eras Tour" to his country, Brazil, he took the opportunity to participate. However, Conrado, 33, had no idea how life-changing the experience would be, not just for him, but for his entire family.
Just weeks before Conrado, a communications manager, was to take part in the third and final show in Rio de Janeiro, his cousin Angela, 37, was diagnosed with cancer. Initially, her health insurance promised to cover the treatment. But after the first month of chemotherapy, Angela received an unexpectedly high bill, one the family simply could not afford.
"She appealed to the government, but our health care system only covers the costs for the most advanced cases," he said.
“In this situation, she took legal action to seek a solution, and in the meantime, the family pulled together with the goal of raising enough money to cover at least the first months [of treatment], which took weeks of hard work. "
But now, months later, Conrado says his cousin finished her treatment in September, thanks in part to a stroke of Swiftie luck.
While sitting front row at the Eras Tour, Conrado noticed Taylor Swift sitting on stage.
At first, he thought she had tripped or that something had gone wrong on stage. Then, he saw her turn to where he was sitting, right in front of him, and throw something at him.
"I had no idea what it was, but my instinct was: Reach up and grab it!" he recalls. “Then the heel of her Louboutin boot landed perfectly in my hands. It took me a few seconds to realize what I had caught and the people around me were also shocked.”
“I quickly slipped the shoe into a bag I was carrying and it wasn't until I saw that shiny piece that I realized: I had just received a historic item from the original Eras Tour wardrobe,” he adds. "I'm still speechless to this day."
Despite his enthusiasm, Conrado realized he could probably sell it to help raise funds for his cousin's treatment. After sharing his plan on social media, he faced some criticism, but soon his phone was flooded with messages from people offering to help.
One Swiftie in particular, Andrea Rumsey, reached out to find out more about the situation. She translated Conrado's post into English and mobilized hundreds of other Swifties through a movement called #KeepTheHeel. While they wanted to support Conrado's cousin, he says they didn't want him to give up the heel for it.
"The #KeepTheHeel movement was something that absolutely blew me away," he says. "I knew a lot of fans would hear about the story because it was so unexpected, including the biggest artist of our generation, but it filled me with happiness to see fans mobilize to make sure I didn't have to take it down. give up something so unique because of a difficult situation".
"It was a very thoughtful move, meant to help my cousin and keep Taylor's gift in the hands of the fan who grabbed it," he adds. "I am deeply grateful to everyone who joined and supported this movement."
Eventually, the social media posts reached Christian Louboutin himself, who sent Conrado a handwritten letter, saying he was touched by the story and would like to help pay for his cousin's treatment. . The Brazilian says that when he read the letter for the first time, he "had no reaction other than crying tears of joy."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine something like this could happen," says Conrado. "The first thing I did was call my cousin, who cried with happiness and emotion. We are extremely grateful for his gesture, as it brought light and hope during a time when the disease itself was already so challenging."
"It was a beautiful and exciting end to the story," he continues. "That heel came into our family at the right time!"
Since finishing treatment in September, Conrado says his cousin is doing well and is forever grateful.
Suggested Articles:
