INDIANAPOLIS — Henry Hinson is sitting outside Yolk, a brunch cafe in downtown Indianapolis, wearing a navy blue Taylor Swift hoodie and showing off a big grin. This sweatshirt was a special gift from Swift’s mother, Andrea, during the Eras Tour on Friday night.

The 11-year-old gained internet fame in October when his mother, Erin Hinson, shared a TikTok of him in his Halloween costume. Henry, with his bright freckles and warm eyes, was decked out in an orange and pink suit with a parachute flap attached to the back of his wheelchair. He wanted to emulate Kameron Saunders, his favorite dancer from the Eras Tour, who wore a similar outfit at the beginning of the impressive three-hour show.

The idea sparked after watching the Eras Tour movie at AMC in the fall of 2023.

“After we left the theater on our first viewing of the movie, Henry said, ‘Mom, I want to be one of those backup dancers,'” Hinson recalls. “And that’s what he set out to do. It’s a memory I’ll cherish forever, loading him into our van in the parking lot.”

The Hinson family designed a mechanism using pool noodles to allow the parachute flap to open and close, mimicking the ones featured in the show’s overture. Their viral video caught the eye of Taylor Nation, Swift’s marketing team, in mid-October, leading them to invite the family to attend the first night at Lucas Oil Stadium. They traveled from Louisville, Kentucky, and Henry proudly wore his recognizable parachute ensemble. When they arrived to collect their tickets, they were thrilled to discover they were seated in section 143.

“It’s the ‘I Love You’ section,” Henry explains with a smile. “One stands for ‘I,’ four for ‘love’ and three for ‘you.'”

As Henry walked into Lucas Oil Stadium, numerous Swift fans paused to take pictures with him, and he relished every moment. To his surprise, during the song “Marjorie,” Henry received a special visit from “Mama Swift,” Andrea Swift.

“Suddenly, a large group of people appeared behind us, and I started looking around,” Hinson says, recalling the moment when she spotted Swift’s publicist and a few security guards nearby. “I glanced over at Henry and saw Taylor’s mom hugging him and welcoming him to the concert.”

Hinson managed to capture some photos and videos of the touching moment, while Swift’s team likely documented it too, probably to share with the superstar post-show.

“(Andrea) was incredibly kind and shared some wonderful words with both Henry and me,” says Hinson. “I hugged her and expressed, ‘As a mother, thank you for sharing your child with us.’ In response, she told Henry, ‘Taylor is thinking about you.'”

The merchandise bag included a T-shirt and a navy blue hoodie.

“Overall, it was an incredible experience,” Henry beams, while Hinson wipes away tears.

“It was so thoughtful and generous of them to take time out of their busy day to ensure my child had a wonderful evening, and then go even further to meet him and welcome him to the show,” she expresses through her tears. “Seeing him embraced by the Swiftie community makes me incredibly thankful.”

An Anticipated Moment

Henry was born with spina bifida, a condition that affects the spine and is present from birth.

“It’s known as a snowflake condition,” Hinson explains, “which means it varies for every individual. In Henry’s case, he lacks feeling from just below his chest downwards.”

“He has a few other health challenges associated with it,” his mother notes, “like a nonverbal learning disorder, which sometimes makes it hard for him to manage his emotions. However, overall, he is a regular kid.”

As a Montessori middle schooler, he is enrolled in advanced courses, plays baseball, shows school spirit as a cheerleader, loves swimming, and excels in the online game Roblox. Yet, his greatest pride comes from being a Swiftie.

“The world is quite chaotic right now,” Hinson reflects. “With wars and the hectic election, Henry’s happiness in these videos and his pride in his outfit provide a brief moment of joy. He spreads a bit of happiness for 23 seconds, and it feels like a true honor to share Henry with everyone because the joy you see in those videos is authentically who he is.”