Medical personnel, friends and family are teaming up to honor Allyson Anderson, the late Taylor Swift super fan who received the singer’s “22” hat during the Eras Tour stop in Cincinnati.

Doctors diagnosed Anderson with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, in 2018. After relapsing five times, the native of the Columbus suburb of Sunbury died at 16 years old on Nov. 13, 2023. Her mother, Patty Anderson, is now honoring her legacy by advocating for better funding toward childhood cancer research.

Columbus native Allyson Anderson received Taylor Swift’s coveted “22” hat during Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Cincinnati.
“I made a promise to Ally to continue to be her voice; to fight for our kids and families who have been impacted by childhood cancer,” Patty Anderson, who works as a nurse practitioner, wrote in an email to The Enquirer.

Her employer, Health First Medical Center in Columbus, is partnering with the nearby Orthopedic One Surgery Center at Easton by permanently dedicating the surgery center’s annual golf charity event to the Ally Anderson Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma Research Fund.

John and Patty Anderson attend CureFest, an event by the Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation, in support of their daughter Allyson Anderson.
The event takes place Saturday, Sept. 28, at New Albany Links Golf Club. Those who cannot attend can donate to Ally’s research fund online.

Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation created the research fund in Allyson Anderson’s honor shortly after her death last year. Having raised over $135,000 since its creation, the money is directed to clinical trials for less-toxic therapies for child cancer patients, which can provide a better quality of life during treatment. The organization also intends to allocate funds toward research at pediatric cancer centers around the country.