Taylor Swift Chokes Up In Concert Talking About Her Mother’s Battle With Cancer

It was an emotional moment during Taylor Swift’s Arizona concert on Aug. 17, when sang ‘Ronan,’ about a little boy who died of cancer, for just the second time publicly. And while introducing the song, Taylor was almost brought to tears while discussing her own mother’s battle with the horrible disease.
Fans who attended Taylor Swift’s Glendale, Arizona concert on Aug. 17 may not have gotten to see a special guest like Fifth Harmony or Little Mix, but they were treated to what might be the most intimate moment of the 1989 tour so far. The 25-year-old nearly broke down on stage while singing her StandUp2Cancer ballad, “Ronan,” and openly spoke about her mom, Andrea Swift’s, cancer battle for the first time.

Taylor released the emotional song “Ronan” in 2012, after reading Ronan’s mother, Maya’s, blog about what it was like to watch her toddler struggle for so long, only to pass away at just four years old. She penned the track based off quotes straight from the online journal, and with Maya and her family in the audience on Monday, it was the perfect opportunity to perform the song. The moment was incredibly important, because the only other time Taylor has sung “Ronan” was during a StandUp2Cancer special in 2012.