Five days after her 8th birthday, Delaney "Laney" Ann Brown died on Christmas day from complications of leukemia, Yahoo! reports, but not before receiving a special phone call in honor of her last wish.
Taylor Swift, who was born in reading, Penn. just down the road from where Brown lived, learned about the girl's struggles with leukemia through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps arrange special experiences for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Swift called Brown using Facetime so the two could have a face-to-face conversation, one of the wishes on Brown's "bucket list," as her family shared on her Facebook page, "Team Laney."
"Laney was so nervous to talk to her because she is such a 'famous celebrity.' I was actually worried that when Taylor Facetimed her that she would be too scared to talk but Taylor was fabulous!! She really engaged Laney in conversation," reads the Facebook page post, presumably written by one of Brown's parents. "Laney lit up and had a huge smile on her face. I can't thank Taylor enough for taking time out from her family to make Laney's birthday very memorable. We will hold that memory in our hearts forever."
The little girl received several more special surprises, including a gathering of more than 10,000 people singing Christmas carols outside of her family home as nurses and parademics assessed her breathing, and a chance to fulfill her dream of being a babysitter by helping care for a friend of the family's 7-week-old baby.
On Wednesday, Dec. 25, Brown passed away.
"My heart breaks right now," reads a post on her Facebook page. "Our little angel on earth earned her pink glittery angel wings in heaven. She took her last breath at home in her bed at 3:10 surrounded by all her family and friends. I miss her so much already."
