Beth GarrabrantVitoria Mario, the 18-year-old student to whom Taylor Swift gifted more than $30,000, says she wishes she could hug the superstar singer to express her gratitude.
As previously reported, Taylor saw Vitoria’s GoFundMe page, which she’d set up to ask for help paying her expenses so she could accept a place at a British university to study for a math degree. She was halfway to her goal of 40 thousand pounds — about $52,000 — when Taylor donated the rest of the money she needed.
Speaking to the BBC, Vitoria, who came from Portugal to study in the U.K., said she was “thankful and grateful” for the donation, and laughed, “I wanted to hug Taylor Swift, I guess!”
“I wanted to say thank you…too many things at the same time! I didn’t even know how to feel or how to handle my feelings!”
Already a Taylor fan, Vitoria now said she’ll be a “fan for the rest of my life,” and promises to graduate with good grades “to make Taylor proud.”
Vitoria admitted that she didn’t know how Taylor even saw her GoFundMe, but said she was “over the moon” when she found out about the donation.
“Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality,” Taylor wrote on her GoFundMe. “I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do! Love, Taylor.”
By Andrea Dresdale
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