Mother of Taylor Swift Song Subject ‘Ronan' Sends Her a Message Before Wedding
Maya Thompson, whose son was the subject of Taylor Swift's song "Ronan," shared a message with the singer ahead of her wedding to Travis Kelce.
After Swift and Kelce, both 36, donated $26 million to several charities in the days leading up to their nuptials, Thompson reacted to the duo donating to MSK Kids, the pediatric cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
"Seeing that one of the places Taylor and Travis donated to is the pediatric cancer center at Memorial Sloan Kettering has me weepy and emotional today. Taylor found her way into the childhood cancer world after she found Ronan," she wrote over a video of herself uploaded on Thursday, July 2.
Thompson added that after Swift found her "words about" Ronan, the "Cornelia Street" singer "turned his story into a song."
"She has been showing up for the kids for over a decade now, and every time she does, I see a thread that leads back to my boy," Thompson's text on the video read.
Alongside the video, Thompson continued to further reflect on the donation in the post's caption. "Sloan Kettering is where Ronan was treated. It's also where the Ronan Thompson Foundation funds clinical trials, so that other kids get the chances he didn't," she wrote. "Some love just keeps rippling outward in the best way."
Swift was introduced to Thompson and her son Ronan's story while he was battling Stage IV neuroblastoma, which is a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. After she found Thompson's blog, Rockstar Ronan, about his cancer battle, Swift wrote the 2012 track from his mother's perspective.
The "Love Story" singer later performed the song at a televised Stand Up to Cancer benefit event, and she even credited Thompson as her cowriter.
Ronan died just three days before his fourth birthday on May 9, 2011.
Thompson shared the post just hours after it was revealed that Swift and Kelce made the generous donations. The couple also donated to several other charities including City Harvest, Food Bank For NYC, New York Cares, Education Through Music, Answer The Call, Musical Mentors, After-School All- Stars and Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone.
The couple, who got engaged in August 2025, made the donations ahead of their reported wedding in New York City's Madison Square Garden on Friday, July 3. Many details about the wedding have been kept under wraps, and Us Weekly previously reported that people on the guest list were simply told to be in New York City on July 2 and 3.
"Taylor and Travis told guests to be in NYC. No other location was provided," a source exclusively said, adding that Swift and Kelce are "putting their guests on hold" for a couple of days. "They are spending a lot of money - in the millions."
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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 8:10 AM.