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An 8-year-old Taylor Swift fan from Ohio received the surprise of a lifetime after a sweet paper airplane request to her neighbour went viral online and caught the attention of the global pop star herself.
The wholesome moment began when Madeline heard her neighbour, musician Ethan Hayes, playing guitar outside his home. She wrote a note requesting a tune from the singer's catalogue, folded it into a paper airplane and tossed it over the fence.
Hayes later picked up the note and performed Swift's hit song "Love Story" for the young fan while Madeline sang along from inside her home. Her mother, Natalie Hulec, recorded the interaction and posted it on TikTok, where the clip quickly gained millions of views.
The video eventually reached Taylor Swift, who decided to send Madeline a handwritten note along with a signed guitar from her merchandise collection.
"Dearest Madeline," Swift wrote in the letter. "I just wanted to let you know that it made me SO happy that you asked your neighbor to play my song for you. You brought the biggest smile to my face!"
The singer added, "I'm sending you your own guitar in case you ever want to learn too!" before signing off with, "Sending you all my love."
According to reports, Hayes also received a signed guitar after Swift's team privately contacted him following the viral moment.
"They're like, 'Hey, Taylor saw your video. We want to send you something. Don't tell anyone until it gets there,'" Hayes told People. He admitted he initially expected "maybe a signed poster or something," adding, "And then she sent us guitars, which is insane."
Hayes also revealed he felt nervous after receiving the request because he was "not exactly a die-hard Swiftie," though he knew "Love Story" well enough to perform it for Madeline.
Madeline's family said they never expected the video to attract so much attention online. Her stepfather, Russell, explained that they initially shared it simply because it was "a cute moment."
"There was really no expectation at all going into it," he said. "Next thing you know, we wake up in the morning and there's like 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 views."
Swift has long been known for surprising fans with personal gestures, including care packages, hospital visits and financial support. The singer previously said one of her goals as an artist was "to give something to the fans that they didn't expect."
