Hey, Taylor Swift, you have a lot to be proud of. Talent. Awards. Loving fans. Did you know you also helped a boy walk?

Luke Hogan Laurenson, 12, was born with cerebral palsy and although he's been inspired by your songs for years, your "Shake It Off" got him up from his wheelchair and dancing to your beat.

SHAKE IT OFF FOR LUKE Please l Support l Donate l Share @ https://www.youcaring.com/lukehoganlaurenson-757279 #ShakeItOffForLuke #AshlandOregon #AshlandFire Posted by Gabriel Al-Rifai on Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Incredible, right? Don't believe me. Ask the Ashland firefighters who saw it happen. Or just watch the video.

Doctors told Luke's mom that walking for him was not possible, let along dancing. He shook it off.

Your song became his personal anthem. He first started swaying to it while sitting on the floor. Then he found the strength to bounce a little on his knees. In December, the brave boy born with dystonic quadriplegia cerebral palsy walked a few steps.

And this year, he danced for the very first time all by himself.

Having the independence to do these things on his own has improved his self esteem, says his mom, Jane Hogan. If he's having a bad day or a setback, she says, he reminds himself to shake it off.

Taylor, your image is everywhere in Luke's home: Posters, calendars, birthday gift DVDs.

When the family drove five hours to attend your Red Tour in Portland's Moda Center four years ago, Luke wore a T-shirt his big sister, Julia Hogan Laurenson, made for him. It read: "The best day of my life," a message inspired by your "Best Day" song and how he was feeling that day.

You see, you've been a big comfort to him. When he was really little and pain shot through his weak limbs, his mom would play your music. Sometimes, when Luke was restless and couldn't sleep, she would crack him up by pretending to talk to you over the phone.

On Friday inside their Ashland home, Jane Hogan demonstrated.

She held her hand like a phone up to her ear, and said, "Taylor, it's been a while," and Luke laughed and wiggled his feet. His speech disability, dysarthria, makes it difficult for most people to understand him, but his mom and sister get the message loud and clear.

Jane Hogan said Luke had been deprived of oxygen before or during his birth. His damaged nervous system can't produce the relaxation neurotransmitter GABA. Your music helps him manage his stress.

But you won't see any unhappiness when meeting Luke. He smiles often, his hazel-colored eyes connecting to yours.

"He wakes up happy and spends the day that way," says his mom.

Classmates at Bellview Elementary School in Ashland made him feel like a rock star. Luke now attends Ashland Middle School and looks forward to the new year starting in August.

He works hard in the classroom, but a device that's supposed to let him communicate to teachers and friends is holding him back. The Talk Buddy he has is old. It's not wired for the internet and it's heavy for him to pick up.

Still, he painstakingly types with one thumb: "I'm feeling happy" or some other positive message.

The video of Luke miraculously dancing was posted on the fundraising site You Caring to raise money to pay for a new Talk Buddy -- his health insurance won't cover a replacement for three more years -- and more medical treatments that are making him become more mobile.

Luke's mom wrote on the You Caring campaign page: "Truthfully, I would rather do almost anything in the world other than ask for help. But I have an amazing 12-year-old son who has shown that his brain can heal."

So far, the campaign has raised a third of its $34,000 goal.

Social experts estimate that each time his video is shared, it could raise $37 for his treatments.

Taylor Nation, can you help?

Since its release five weeks ago, over 50,000 people have watched the video through Facebook and YouTube. Family friend and real estate agent Gabriel Al-Rifai volunteered to shoot the short, inspiring film. In it, a dozen Ashland firefighters strut with Luke on top of a firetruck to Swift singing:

I never miss a beat, I'm lightning on my feet

I'm dancing on my own, I make the moves up as I go

It's like I got this music in my mind

Saying it's gonna be alright

Maybe Taylor Swift will never call Luke's home. But that's OK. He has work to do.

For now, the old Talk Buddy device is doing its job, helping Luke spread his message: "I came here to teach people about love and open people's hearts."

— Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman



