- Felipe Conrado has been a devoted Taylor Swift fan for greater than 13 years
- Just a few weeks earlier than the communications supervisor attended the third and remaining Eras Tour present in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, his cousin Angela, 37, was recognized with most cancers
- Throughout the live performance, Conrado caught part of Swift’s shoe that had fallen off, which he determined to promote to assist pay for his cousin’s therapy
- Now, months later, he tells PEOPLE that his cousin accomplished her therapy in September, and due to a donation by Christian Louboutin, he obtained to maintain the shoe
Felipe Conrado has been a devoted Taylor Swift fan for greater than 13 years. So, when the singer-songwriter introduced she could be bringing the Eras Tour to his residence nation, Brazil, he jumped on the alternative to attend. Nonetheless, Conrado, 33, had no concept simply how life-changing the expertise could be — not only for him, however for his whole household.
Just a few weeks earlier than Conrado, a communications supervisor, attended the third and remaining present in Rio de Janeiro, his cousin Angela, 37, was recognized with most cancers. Initially, her medical health insurance promised to cowl the therapy. However after the primary month of chemotherapy, Angela acquired an unexpectedly excessive invoice — one which the household merely couldn’t afford.
“She appealed to the federal government, however our healthcare system solely covers prices for extra superior instances,” he tells PEOPLE completely. “On this scenario, she took authorized motion to hunt an answer, and in the meantime, the household got here along with the objective of elevating sufficient cash to cowl not less than the primary few months [of treatment], which took weeks of exhausting work.”
However now, months later, Conrado says that his cousin accomplished her therapy in September — thanks, partly, to a stroke of Swiftie luck.
Felipe Conrado
Whereas sitting within the entrance row on the Eras Tour, Conrado observed Taylor Swift crouch down on stage. Although he might inform one thing was off, he couldn’t instantly determine what it was.
At first, he thought she had tripped or that one thing had gone unsuitable on stage. Then, he noticed her flip towards the place he was sitting, proper in entrance of him, and toss something in his path.
“I had no concept what it was, however my intuition was: RAISE YOUR HAND AND CATCH IT!” he remembers. “That’s once I observed the best Louboutin boot heel from her Lover period [look] land completely in my palms mid-air. It took me a number of seconds to comprehend what I had caught, and the individuals round me have been additionally in shock.”
“I shortly put the shoe in a bag I used to be carrying, and solely after that shiny piece did I perceive: I had simply acquired a historic merchandise from the unique Eras Tour wardrobe,” he provides. “I’m nonetheless speechless to at the present time.”
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Regardless of his pleasure over having caught such an iconic piece of memorabilia, shortly after securing the heel, Conrado realized that he might in all probability promote it to assist elevate funds for his cousin’s therapy. After sharing his plan on social media, he confronted some criticism, however quickly his cellphone was flooded with messages from individuals providing to assist.
One Swiftie particularly, Andrea Rumsey, reached out to study extra concerning the scenario. She translated Conrado’s publish into English and mobilized a whole lot of different Swifties via a motion known as #KeepTheHeel. Whereas they wished to assist Conrado’s cousin, he says they didn’t need him to have to surrender the heel for it.
“The #KeepTheHeel motion was one thing that completely took me abruptly,” he says. “I knew many followers would hear concerning the story as a result of it was so surprising, involving the most important artist of our era, nevertheless it stuffed me with happiness to see followers mobilize to verify I didn’t have to surrender one thing so distinctive resulting from a troublesome scenario.”
“It was an extremely considerate motion, geared toward serving to my cousin and protecting Taylor’s present within the palms of the fan who caught it,” he provides. “I’m deeply grateful to each fan who joined and supported this motion.”
Felipe Conrado
Ultimately, the social media posts reached Christian Louboutin himself, who despatched Conrado a handwritten letter saying he was moved and touched by the story, and would love to assist pay for his cousin’s therapy. The Brazil native says when he first learn the letter, he “had no response aside from to cry tears of pleasure.”
“By no means in my wildest goals did I think about one thing like this might occur,” Conrado says. “The very first thing I did was name my cousin, who cried with happiness and emotion. We’re immensely grateful for his gesture, as he introduced gentle and hope throughout a time when the illness itself was already so difficult.”
“It was a good looking and emotional ending to the story,” he continues. “That heel got here to our household at simply the best second!”
Felipe Conrado
Since finishing therapy in September, Conrado says his cousin is doing nicely, and is eternally grateful.
“On this Cinderella-like metaphor, having her heel [brings] such an enormous emotion,” Conrado says. “Who is aware of, perhaps someday I’ll get the prospect to fulfill her and thank her for the shock that modified my household’s life!”
