Why Taylor Swift’s performance of “Ronan” has us in tears

Get ready for some Wednesday morning feels, courtesy of Taylor Swift. On Monday, everybody’s favorite pop princess stopped in Glendale, Arizona as a part of her 1989 tour. Here, she made a very special announcement:

If the name Ronan sounds familiar to you, that’s probably because you remember his story from back in 2012, when Taylor Swift performed her rare single “Ronan” at a Stand Up to Cancer telethon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvN7BOAQn9I

Ronan’s mother, Maya, kept a blog called Rockstar Ronan that documented his battle with neuroblastoma, which Taylor Swift followed closely. Ronan lost the battle in 2011, but his mother’s words inspired Taylor to write the song. Until Monday, she had only ever performed it once.

Maya expressed her gratitude for Taylor’s performance over on Instagram:

This performance is extra heartbreaking because of Swift’s own recent encounter with cancer. She announced back in April that her mother had been diagnosed with the disease. She referenced this discovery on stage, saying she “would read [the blog] every night.” And that, “since then, [she’s] had cancer hit really close to [her] in [her] family.”

Best wishes to Maya, and to Taylor and her family!

(Images via and Instagram)