'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On 12 November 2021, Taylor Swift released her version of the album Red. Earlier in June, the singer had announced that she would be releasing her re-recorded songs from the album.
On Thursday, 11 November 2021, she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and revealed that her version of Red would include a few unreleased songs. Taylor Swift further elaborated,
"It's an opportunity for me to go back and re-record all the music that was on the original album, and then, what I'm really excited about is these songs that no one's ever heard before that were supposed to be on that album."
As it turns out, the 31-year old megastar included a charity track from 2012 on the album. The track is titled Ronan. The song was previously released as a single in the iTunes Store.
All proceeds from the original track's sales went to cancer charities, presumably including the Ronan Thompson Foundation. Swift also performed it live in September 2012 on the nationally televised Stand Up to Cancer program.
Who was Ronan, the boy behind Taylor Swift's emotionally hitting song?
Ronan was a three-year-old pre-schooler who passed away from neuroblastoma in 2011, just three days before his fourth birthday. His mother Maya had compiled her thoughts into a blog, which encapsulated Ronan's experience. She detailed the account from his diagnosis in August 2010 to his unfortunate demise in May 2011.
In 2011, Taylor Swift had invited Maya Thompson to her concert. As per Maya's blog addressed to Ronan, Swift told her,
"I wrote a song for Ronan."
Lyrics of 'Ronan' by Taylor Swift
Swift's tribute to Ronan was laden with powerful and poignant motifs. The young boy passed away from cancer in 2011, at the age of three. The 11-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter based the lyrics on Ronan's mother, Maya's blog (Rockstar Ronan).
Taylor Swift credits Ronan's mother as the co-writer of the song.
Ronan's story
Ronan Sean was born on 12 May 2007, to Maya and Woody Thompson. He had three older brothers. In August 2010, his parents noticed his 'lazy' eyes, which led to an MRI and CT scan. The scan revealed Stage IV Neuroblastoma.
Three-year-old Ronan underwent surgery and chemotherapy from September 2010 to January 2011. Following that, he braved another surgery to remove an abdominal tumor. In April 2011, the young boy's neuroblastoma stopped reacting to treatment. On 9 May 2011, Ronan passed away surrounded by his loving parents.
