Dad makes dream come true for ‘Swiftie’ tween daughter with Down Syndrome

Dad makes dream come true for ‘Swiftie’ tween daughter with Down Syndrome

Wind in her hair, Grace DelVecchio was there. 

Since 12-year-old Grace opened a Christmas present containing Eras Tour concert tickets, not only has the die-hard “Swiftie” been looking forward to seeing the pop superstar perform live — she’s had her fingers crossed that she gets the opportunity to meet her idol in person.

“I’m going to yell and scream and jump up and down. I’m so excited to see her!” the elated tween, who has Down Syndrome, told The Post in anticipation of attending Swift’s concerts on Friday and Sunday at MetLife Stadium. 

At the DelVecchio home in Westchester, T-Swizzle’s tunes are blasted from the minute Grace wakes up until bedtime, said her mom, Theresa DelVecchio. 

On Saturdays, the family has a tradition of serving up “folklore pancakes” – which are just regular pancakes, but cooked while Swift’s “Folklore” album plays in the background, Theresa said.


Grace DelVecchio in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium.
12-year-old Grace DelVecchio is a die-hard “Swiftie.”Jacquelyn Kozak

“[Grace] plays the Taylor Swift playlist on Alexa 24/7 — her older brother is like, ‘Enough already!’” Theresa said with a laugh.

Grace’s teachers will even draw upon the youngster’s love for the pop superstar in her lessons at school. 

“We’ll talk about Taylor Swift, we’ll summarize Taylor Swift, we’ll say who she is, why she’s important,” said Jenn Sparano, who works closely with Grace as a speech-language pathologist at Mildred E. Strang Middle School. 


Taylor Swift performs during night 1 of The Eras Tour at MetLife Stadium.
Swift is performing in East Rutherford for three consecutive nights.Jacquelyn Kozak

After Grace’s obsession with Swift started in late 2019, with the release of the Grammy-nominated album “Lover,” securing tickets for their daughter to see the icon in concert became a mission for Grace’s dad, Michael DelVecchio. 

“It was like, whenever Taylor Swift goes on tour next, we have to be there no matter what,” Michael said. “I had to make it a priority to do it for [Grace], considering everything that she’s gone through.”

The father of two felt like “the worst dad ever” when he wasn’t able to accomplish his mission during the Eras Tour concert ticket presale on Nov. 15 — which broke Ticketmaster after the site experienced a “historically unprecedented demand.”

Swifties reportedly saw tickets going for up to $22,000 on StubHub, a ticket reseller site, in the wake of the chaos.


Grace with her Eras Tour tickets.
Grace was gifted tickets to the Eras Tour for Christmas.Courtesyof DelVecchio family

“I was devastated,” Michael recalled, chocking back tears.

Just in time for Christmas, he was finally able to purchase the golden tickets for $240 to $418 each.

On Friday, Theresa and Grace attended the show along with Grace’s 12- and 14-year-old cousins and two aunts.

Michael, Sparano, and another of Grace’s speech teachers will accompany her to the concert on Sunday. 


Grace and her mom, Theresa.
Grace and her mom, Theresa, are hoping for a chance to meet the songstress.Jacquelyn Kozak

“I will cry a lot [at the concert],” Michael said with a laugh. 

He showed The Post a beaded bracelet Grace made for him, which says “Swiftie Dad,” that he happily sports. 

In Michael’s eyes, there’s no better role model for her daughter than T-Swizzle. 

“I think [Grace] does such an awesome job promoting herself, advocating for herself … And, of course, I think she gets some of that from watching what Taylor does on a daily basis,” he said. 

Even if they don’t get to meet their idol, the concerts will mark “one of the best moments of our lives,” Theresa said.