Swiftie Mom Turns Hardship into Hope with Friendship Bracelets Inspired by Taylor Swift

“I’ve been a fan since the beginning,” 49-year-old mom of four Lisa Fleming tells PEOPLE about her love for Taylor Swift.

She watched Swift grow from a young country singer in Nashville into one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

“My family says, ‘Oh, she’s an off-the-rails Swiftie,’” Fleming says. “But how can you not be?”

Swift’s music has always been a big part of her life, but one album, in particular, stood out during a very difficult time.

In September 2023, Fleming’s adult son, who has lived with cerebral palsy his whole life, suffered a ruptured esophagus and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Orlando, far from their home. He needed constant care.

During this stressful period, Fleming also lost her job because she had to stay by her son’s side. Around the same time, Swift released her 10th album, Midnights, which became Fleming’s lifeline.

“I was listening to it during a really hard time, and it was keeping me uplifted,” she says.

As hospital days turned into weeks, Fleming wanted to bring joy to her son and the other kids on the ward. Halloween was coming, but many children couldn’t have candy, and some couldn’t even leave their beds. One line from Swift’s album kept echoing in her mind: “Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” from the song “You’re On Your Own, Kid.”

“So I started making bracelets,” Fleming says.

Some bracelets had Swift’s lyrics, like the ones fans would trade at the star’s Eras Tour. Others shared messages of positivity or awareness for different medical conditions.

“For Halloween last year, I dressed in my sparkly Chiefs outfit and boots, made lots of friendship bracelets, and gave them to neighborhood kids,” she says. “You know, everyone loves Taylor Swift.”

When Fleming and her son returned home, life had changed. Their two-income household dropped to one, and her son needed more medical equipment at home, adding extra expenses.

“There are a lot of costs, and insurance doesn’t cover everything when caring for someone with significant needs,” she says. “We found ourselves in a tough spot.”

Fleming remained her son’s full-time caretaker. In her free time, she worked in her “studio,” filled with guitars, photos of Swift, and thousands of beads, making bracelets.

“That’s what I’ve been doing all morning,” she says. “That’s what I’ll be doing the rest of the night.”

In July 2024, she opened her Etsy shop, Long Story Short Bracelet Co., and the Swiftie community quickly supported her. Bigger creators on Instagram and TikTok shared her story to help spread the word.

“They’ve been amazing — the most genuine and caring group of people,” she says. “It only took me talking about my son briefly for everyone to jump in. They’re like, ‘We can do this. We can all rally together and get your story out there.’”

Since launching, she’s sold thousands of items and received hundreds of positive reviews. On a GoFundMe to raise over $80,000 for a wheelchair-accessible van, dozens of Swifties donated $13, nodding to Swift’s favorite number.

“I can’t say enough about the camaraderie and friendship that is genuinely there,” Fleming says.

She also admires Swift herself for visiting hospitals and meeting kids receiving care.

“It’s heartwarming to see all the visits to children’s hospitals she’s done and the difference it makes,” Fleming says. “It’s so important to bring awareness to kids going through things most people never think about. I’m very grateful to be part of that community.”