Jill Zarin’s Daughter Ally Shapiro Remains Silent on Ended Engagement to Jordan Bilfeld
Most Taylor Swift fans who receive the treasured “22” hat at the Eras Tour are chosen by chance, but for Eloise Childs in Indianapolis on November 2, this moment was destiny, seven years in the making.
“It gives me goosebumps thinking of how everything aligned,” says Cindy Childs over a Zoom call. Cindy, a devoted Swift fan, has been captivated by Taylor’s music since its inception.
“I’ve listened to her from the very beginning,” Cindy recalls. “I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Taylor on multiple occasions, each one at a different stage of life.”
Cindy, a proud “OG Swiftie,” connected with Swift’s music early in her career. Years ago, Taylor was highly active on social media, particularly on Instagram and Tumblr, where she’d occasionally engage with fans by liking posts, commenting, or joining live streams.
Three months after giving birth to Eloise, Cindy decided to go live on Instagram one evening, intending to update family and friends. To her surprise, Swift joined the stream, casually commenting, “Hi,” almost immediately.
“It was a delightful moment,” Cindy laughs. “Taylor jokingly said, ‘Don’t wake her up,’ while all my friends were urging me to.” Taylor stayed on the stream for a generous 45 minutes, mentioning she hoped to meet Eloise someday.
Fast forward to the Eras Tour’s last U.S. show—Cindy had secured tickets. She shared screenshots of Swift’s comments online, explaining that Eloise would finally be in the same room as the superstar. Fellow Swifties flooded social media with tags, catching the attention of Swift’s team.
“My friends urged me, ‘You need to post where you’re sitting,’” Cindy recalls. So, she tweeted her exact section and row, inviting fans to trade friendship bracelets nearby.
The day of the concert, Cindy sensed something extraordinary would happen.
“I kept seeing the number 13,” she says. “Our gate was 13. Our seat was 13. My Dunkin’ Donuts order was 1313.”
In Swift’s world, 13 is iconic—her lucky number. Whether fate or sheer coincidence, the 22 hat moment unfolded just as Swift began “Love Story.”
As the song played, a woman from Swift’s team approached Cindy’s family with security guards, knelt by Eloise, and confirmed her identity. She then escorted the girl, with Cindy, her sister, and her niece trailing behind, down the stage’s catwalk.
When Swift reached Eloise’s spot during “22,” she greeted her, “The last time I saw you, you were a little baby.” Placing the hat on Eloise’s head, Swift’s golden signature adorned the brim, scented faintly with her perfume.
“I could hardly see what was happening,” Cindy admits. *“I was so overwhelmed I handed my phone to someone behind me. My sister and I were bouncing with excitement. I didn’t even catch [Swift] saying, ‘Hi, Eloise,’ or her comment about Eloise as a baby. I’m grateful her team included my niece, too—Swift even high-fived her and pointed to me.”
As the song ended, Cindy exclaimed, “Did that just happen?”
“I remember looking at Eloise, realizing she didn’t yet understand the magnitude of what just happened,” Cindy reflects.
In the days that followed, Eloise proudly brought the hat to her class show-and-tell. Now, Cindy plans to display it in a case, hoping the scent of Swift’s perfume will endure as a memento of this unforgettable night.
After two decades, Cindy explains the profound impact Swift has had on her life, quoting her friend Gena Baillis: “I came for Taylor’s music, but I stayed for her character.”
Nine more fans will be chosen for this honor in Toronto and Vancouver before Swift concludes her monumental Eras Tour on December 8.
