Country-singer-turned-pop-star Taylor Swift announced via Tumblr on April 9, 2015 that her biggest fan and mother, Andrea Finlay, has been diagnosed with cancer, but she did not reveal the type or severity.
Swift has always been looked at as a sweet, caring young woman who bonds with her fans by sharing details of her personal life with them. She told fans that her and her younger brother, Austin Swift, had been pestering their mother to go for a routine checkup around Christmas 2014 just to make sure that everything was running smoothly. Finlay was hesitant to take a minute for herself, but she appeased her children. The fans respect this, and they are also deeply upset by the news.
On Tumblr, Swift said, “The results came in, and Im sadded to tell you that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer. Id like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know.”
When Swift also shared the news on Twitter, fans showed their support with 70.6K retweets and 104K favorites. The hashtag #PrayforMamaSwift was also trending on the twittersphere, as Swifties have been furiously posting their favorite pictures of the mother and daughter duo. Along with their support, fans are also expressing their concerns.
Freshman Alyssa Herrington said, “If her mom is not doing too well she might have to cancel a few shows or won’t be into it as much.”
Swifties are waiting to see how Finlay’s condition with affect the upcoming “1989” tour, due to start on May 5, 2015. In the past, she has appeared in three of her daughter’s videos and has been an integral part of every tour so far.
Other members of the Swift team have called her that “crazy intense stage mom.” To fans, this fits her character well, as Finlay has already done so much for her children.
When Taylor and Austin Swift were born, Finlay quit her job as a mutual fund marketing executive to be a full-time mommy and raise her children. When Swift’s music career had trouble getting off the ground in 2003, she uprooted the family and moved them to Tennessee where she drove around distributing Swift’s demo to record labels all over. A few years later, when Swift was dealing with a crowd of mean girls at school and a totally suckish social situation, it was Finlay who eased her pain.
Swift is extremely close with her mother, and she calls her “the friend that was always there.” Finlay has always stood by her daughter, and fans desperately hope she will continue to be able to do so. Swift appears to be okay with her mother’s possible temporary absence, saying that Finlay “has an important battle to fight.”
Freshman Alexa McDaniel said, “I support the Swifts and I hope that Taylor will be okay without her mom’s continuous support.”
The family has shared this information with the hopes that fans will use it as a cautionary tale, and learn from it. Finlay advises parents who are super busy to take a bit of time and go to the doctors once in a while. If caught early, cancer is not always fatal, and going to the doctors before it’s too late could save a life.
How do you think Finlay’s absence will affect Taylor and the “1989” tour?
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