It was a moment for Grace.
The Westchester tween who The Post spotlighted for being a die-hard “Swiftie” had her dreams come true at the pop superstar’s concert at MetLife Stadium Sunday – when Taylor Swift knelt down and placed the fedora on her head while singing “22.”
“I felt so special, happy, nauseous, shocked, excited,” 12-year-old Grace DelVecchio, who has Down Syndrome, told The Post about the special moment.
Prior to the DelVecchio family attending T-Swizzle’s Eras Tour concerts on June 26 and 28, The Post and the DelVecchios reached out to Swift’s public relations team several times to request a meet-and-greet with Grace’s idol – but never received a response.
So when Grace and her dad, Michael DelVecchio, were instructed by a security guard to go to the end of the ninth row where they were sitting, Michael initially didn’t know what to think.
“I felt so special, happy, nauseous, shocked, excited,” 12-year-old Grace DelVecchio said about the moment she interacted with Swift.Courtesyof DelVecchio familyBut within seconds, he realized that Swift was in the middle of singing “Enchanted” – the song that routinely came before “22,” during which Swift traditionally gives her fedora to an audience member.
“I knew what was going to happen next because I’ve read about it previously. I literally left our bags – I left our backpack, fanny pack, everything on the chair, because I was just like, ‘I gotta go.’ And they, like, secret-serviced us…up front,” Michael recalled.
“I’m still feeling some of those goosebumps one week later…I will never be able to duplicate something like that for her for the rest of our lives,” he said with tears in his eyes.
Grace DelVecchio calls herself Taylor Swift’s “biggest fan.”Courtesy of Theresa DelVecchio
“I will never be able to duplicate something like that for her for the rest of our lives,” Michael DelVecchio said with tears in his eyes. Courtesy of Theressa DelVecchioFor years, it had been Michael’s goal to fulfill his daughter’s dream of seeing Swift perform live. The father of two eventually secured Eras Tour tickets days before Christmas – after he was unable to get them during the Nov. 15 presale, which made him feel like “the worst dad ever,” he said.
Jenn Sparano, Grace’s speech-language pathologist teacher at Mildred E. Strang Middle School, was sitting in a different section of the stadium when she looked up to see Grace’s face on the big screen.
At that moment, “I truly collapsed to the ground and was sobbing,” Sparano said.
When she saw Grace’s face on the big screen, “I truly collapsed to the ground and was sobbing,” Jenn Sparano said. Courtesy of Theressa DelVecchioTheresa DelVecchio, Grace’s mom, immediately began receiving pictures of Grace on the big screen from people she hadn’t spoken to in years who were at the concert, she said with a laugh.
“There’s not a single person who told me they saw the video [of Taylor giving her hat to Grace] and didn’t cry,” Theresa said.
Taylor Swift knelt down and placed the fedora on Grace DelVecchio’s head while singing “22.”Getty Images for TAS Rights ManagementOne of the best parts of the whole experience has been the outpouring of love for Grace from their Yorktown community, according to Sparano and the DelVecchios.
“I have loved watching everyone’s interactions with Grace in the hallway this week…Cheering for her, giving her hugs. Everyone is so excited for her,” Sparano said.
“She just eats it up,” Michael added.
The DelVecchios have ordered a glass case — along with a hat stand — to preserve Swift’s fedora for Grace.
