Deaf Missouri girl loved Taylor Swift even before she could hear. Now she’s at KC show
A six-year-old girl who was born deaf and now uses cochlear implants to hear is thrilled to be attending Taylor Swift’s concert Friday night in Kansas City.
From St. Louis, Hattie Nielsen is heading to Arrowhead Stadium along with seven of her cousins and her mom Nikki Nielsen, a longtime fan of the pop superstar.
Hattie was born with severe hearing loss in both ears, Nikki Nielsen said. She was not a fan of hearing aids and learned American Sign Language as she struggled with her speech. But she still became a Swiftie by watching videos.
When Hattie was 3, her parents had her tested to see if she was a candidate for cochlear implants, which are devices to improve hearing. She underwent the surgery at age 4 and it was like “night and day,” Nielsen said.
The first song Hattie ever listened to was “Never Grow Up,” a sweet ode to childhood and the eighth track on “Speak Now,” which was re-released Friday as Swift reclaims the rights to her music. In a viral video recounting their journey, Hattie dances around their living room, her arms outstretched.
Then in San Diego, the family moved during the pandemic to St. Louis where Hattie and one of her two older siblings attend the Central Institute for the Deaf.
Hattie is growing more comfortable speaking — and like her mom, loves Swift’s tunes.
In 2019, when Nielsen posted a photo of her kids in pastel suits mimicking the color scheme of the then soon-to-be album “Lover,” it caught Swift’s attention.
Nielsen was invited to a “secret session” at Swift’s abode where she got to hear the tracks before they were released.
It was “the ultimate fan experience,” Nikki Nielsen said, adding that Swift is “like everything you’d hope she’d be.”
“She makes you feel like a friend.”
Nielsen traveled to The Eras Tour when it kicked off in March in Glendale, Arizona, but Friday’s show will be Hattie’s first.
In the lead-up to the event, she and her cousins have posted TikTok videos documenting them finding out they got tickets to the concert, showing off choreographed dances in an impressive array of outfits and making friendship bracelets to trade with other fans.
Outside Arrowhead, Hattie and her cousins exuded excitement in colorful outfits. They were eager to share the bracelets they had made and share their favorite Swift song. Hattie said “Never Grow Up” and “Shake It Off” top her list.
“I’m so excited,” she said as they headed to get in line to join tens of thousands of other fans.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 11:35 PM.
