Donating Swift tickets was ‘obvious choice’
Michigan ‘Swiftie’ with brain injury benefits from Quebec nurse’s generosity
DETROIT When Taylor Swift takes the stage at Detroit’s Ford Field Tuesday night, tens of thousands of fans will likely be singing along to every word.
For one 15-year-old attending the show with the help of a nurse from Quebec, that would have been impossible just a few months ago.
Tiffany Kleinschmidt of Waterford, Mich., is a lifelong “Swiftie,” as the pop star’s legions of fans are known. Before she suffered a traumatic brain injury in April, Kleinschmidt could easily sing along to hits like Shake It Off and Blank Space.
But since that day when she went into cardiac arrest during class, depriving her brain of oxygenated blood, Kleinschmidt has had to relearn basic skills like how to walk, talk and eat. It has been a painstaking ordeal, but Swift’s music has been a major boost throughout her recovery.
So when Quebec-based nurse Laken Tiller donated two tickets to Swift’s Tuesday concert to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, it didn’t take long for officials there to decide who would get them.
Tiller grew up in Windsor, Ont., but now lives in Granby. She bought two tickets to the Detroit concert during a presale period about a year ago, but found out her work schedule conflicted with the show. Thankfully, she had backup plans.
“I went to her Chicago show and her New York show,” the 26-yearold Tiller — another confessed “Swiftie” — said Saturday.
Tiller could have put her tickets up for sale, but she said it was an “obvious choice” to donate them.
“I see tons of families who are consumed with (their children’s) health. When they’re sick and they’re in the hospital, your life is completely turned around. So I wanted a child who’s been in the hospital for a while to be able to relax and take a night off and forget about what’s going on,” she said.
Since that initial donation, which will allow Tiffany and her recreational therapist to attend the show, Tiller has bought and donated an extra pair of tickets so Tiffany’s mother and sister can go, too.
“That donation that Laken made means a lot to us,” said Dawn Kleinschmidt, who added her daughter “lit up” when she learned she would get to see her idol in person.
Even that basic expression of joy points to the progress Tiffany has made since her injury, which altered the way she shows her emotions.
Recreational therapist Dawn Grenier said Tiffany is “beyond thrilled” about the show, noting “She’s got the best smile. Her smile is what shows us.”