This is the heartwarming moment a young girl in need of a lung transplant after beating cancer discovers she has been given tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour during the 100th show.
Florence Ava Bark, from Corby, Northamptonshire, is currently battling graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) of the lungs.
She developed the disease after undergoing a bone marrow transplant in August 2022, following her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Florence has always loved music and dancing, but due to her illness she was never able to experience them.
Days before Taylor Swift’s final show in Liverpool, Thrive CEO Sean Reddington gave away two VIP tickets to “someone who really deserves them.”
A fan of Florence’s social media contacted Sean and nominated her for the tickets. After hearing her story, he decided to donate them to the family.
Florence Ava Bark is pictured with her mother Stacey Bark at Taylor Swift’s 100th Eras concert in Liverpool
The moment the young seven-year-old girl found out she was going to her very first concert
Florence has always loved music and dancing, but due to her illness she was never able to experience them
In their living room, her mother Stacey Bark said, “Someone very kind gave away two special tickets to a special event and a lovely girl named Olivia nominated you.”
She then asks Florence which superstar they were last talking about, to which the young girl says with a big smile on her face, “You were talking about Taylor Swift!” Are we going to a Taylor Swift concert?’
After being told they were attending the sold-out event, Florence giggled and said: ‘I love music, I’ve never been to a concert, thank you.
Florence then started crying before the clip disappeared and she enjoyed the concert, singing along and waving her stuffed dog to the music.
Stacey, 34, said: ‘They were so amazing. Sean said there were quite a few tears in the office when they heard Florence’s story.
“They even made extra special arrangements for Florence because the tickets weren’t originally wheelchair accessible, but they called the stadium and made sure they could accommodate her.
‘Sean’s PA called me at 4pm on Friday during the school run, the day before the show, to confirm it had been resolved.
“Then I rushed home to tell Florence.”
Stacey, her husband Andrew, 36, and their eldest child Freddie, 10, all made the trip to Liverpool.
Florence is pictured wearing a Taylor Swift t-shirt, balloons and a cutout of the famous singer
Florence cuddles her stuffed dog as she waits for Taylor Swift in Liverpool
Other Taylor Swift fans show Florence their friendship bracelets during the concert
Florence Bark, seven, her mother, Stacey Bark, 34, her father, Andrew, 36, and her brother, Freddie, 10
Stacey attended the concert with Florence and despite concerns about how she would fare, Florence absolutely loved it.
Stacey, who is now her daughter’s full-time carer with her husband, said: ‘Florence has spent most of the last two and a half years in hospital.
“Even before she got sick, the pandemic started the year she was supposed to start school, so she had never been in such a big crowd before.
‘To see her have this experience meant everything and the staff were just so wonderful, friendly and attentive.
‘Florence called it a “once in a lifetime” experience.
Florence first became ill in late April 2022 and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May.
Stacey said: ‘She was diagnosed within 24 hours of her blood test coming back.
‘Florence started chemo the next day because she had been diagnosed as a high-risk patient.’
It soon became clear that the chemotherapy was not working and Florence’s parents were told she needed a bone marrow transplant.
“Just over a month later, on June 17, we were told she needed a bone marrow transplant,” Stacey added.
‘We were told there was a good chance the transplant wouldn’t work before the operation, but we had no other viable option at the time.
“She had the transplant on August 18, 2022, after which some cancer still remained.
‘The bigger problem then became her immune system, which had to be suppressed so that the transplant would be accepted into the body.’
Florence was declared cancer-free in October 2022, but was diagnosed with graft-versus-host disorder (GvHD) of the lungs a month later.
GvHD occurs when transplanted donor cells recognize the recipient’s tissues as foreign and attack them.
Florence Ava Bark, from Corby, Northamptonshire, is currently battling graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) of the lungs
A fan of Florence’s social media contacted Thrive’s CEO and nominated her for the ticket
Florence smiles as she watches the concert, sings along and waves her stuffed dog in the air
Stacey said: ‘Her lungs work at 30 per cent capacity on a good day but she now needs a lung transplant.
‘She gets a lot of infections in her lungs that need to be cleared up before a possible transplant.
‘Florence was on a ventilator for eight days last January due to complications with the infections in her lungs.’
Florence is now undergoing tests to monitor her health ahead of a possible lung transplant.
Her parents founded the Bemorefab foundation after her initials to help with donations for both Florence and other children battling GvHD.
Stacey said: ‘We wouldn’t have come this far without the support of our community in Corby and the kindness of strangers willing to donate.’