A 17-year-old fan who found solace in Taylor Swift’s music during her cancer treatment recently had the chance to see her idol live in concert. Isabel Dockings, from Newport in South Wales, attended the Eras Tour in Cardiff, marking a significant milestone exactly eight months after completing her last cycle of chemotherapy.
Diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer, in February 2023, Isabel underwent 14 cycles of chemotherapy. Throughout her treatment, she found comfort in Taylor Swift’s music, often listening to it with her nurses and decorating her hospital room with posters of the pop star.
“When I was going through treatment, I would talk to my nurses about Taylor,” Isabel shared. “It was a really full circle thing to go from listening to her with my nurses to then actually being able to see all the songs live.”
Isabel has been a devoted fan of Swift since the release of the Red album in 2012. Her hospital room was adorned with posters of the singer, making it a well-known fact among the hospital staff that she was a huge fan. “I always had some posters up by my bed in hospital, so it just gave it more of a homey feeling,” she said.
Having been in remission since November, Isabel described the experience of seeing Taylor Swift in person as surreal. “Quite a few of my nurses were at the show last night as well. We all got tickets and would talk about our outfits and make bracelets together. It’s been really nice to share this with my nurses.”
Ahead of the concert, Isabel shared her excitement on social media, revealing that she would be attending the show eight months after her last chemotherapy session. Her post garnered over 94,000 views and received an outpouring of support from fellow fans, known as Swifties. One user commented, “fellow cancer survivor here to say YOU ROCK! Have so much fun,” while another said, “cancer Swifties unite!!! So happy for you.”
Reflecting on her journey, Isabel expressed gratitude for the kindness she has encountered. “Since my diagnosis, I really see the good in the world. Everyone has just been so, so sweet about everything,” she said. “Even yesterday, when we were chatting to people to trade bracelets, my mum would bring up how it was eight months to the day that I started my last cycle, and everyone was just so lovely. I was tearing up.”
Despite the challenges of her diagnosis, Isabel remains determined to stay positive. “I do take a lot of the positives out of it because before I got diagnosed, I was so, so shy. But since I was diagnosed, I’m so much more open and willing to do stuff,” she said. “It was definitely difficult, but I think I’ve had such a positive outcome with everything.”
Taylor Swift’s concert in Cardiff was a memorable event for many fans, including Isabel. The US superstar surprised the audience by speaking Welsh during her performance, greeting the crowd with “Shwmae” and welcoming them to the Eras Tour with “Croeso i daith Eras.” Swift’s efforts to connect with her Welsh fans were well-received, adding a special touch to the evening.
During the show, Swift also incorporated local culture into her performance. During a rendition of her 2012 hit “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” she passed the microphone to a dancer who performed a regional version of the lyric, saying “Ych-a-fi,” a Welsh term to describe something disgusting. Fans also speculated that Swift’s outfit for the 1989 era of the show—a red glittery skirt and green crop top—was a nod to the colors of the Welsh national flag.
The Cardiff concert was part of Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour, which has seen her perform across South America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. The UK leg of the tour began in Edinburgh and included three back-to-back shows at Liverpool’s Anfield, where the enthusiastic dancing of nearly 73,000 fans was picked up by earthquake monitors 3.7 miles away.
Swift is set to continue her tour with three gigs at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium next week and will return to London in August to conclude the UK and European stint. The tour, which is estimated to be worth up to £1 billion to the UK economy, will end on December 8th in Vancouver.
For Isabel Dockings, the Cardiff concert was not just a night of music but a celebration of resilience and the power of music to heal and inspire. Her journey from hospital rooms filled with Taylor Swift posters to standing in a crowd of thousands, singing along to her favorite songs, is a testament to her strength and the support of those around her.
