Exorbitant resale prices for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and a promise Sean McMahon made to his daughter battling cancer prompted the dad to buy tickets for Brazil. Now he is encouraging other families to consider international shows.

McMahon wrote a poignant essay for Medium explaining why he took his family of four from Portland, Oregon, to Rio de Janeiro to see Miss Americana not once, but twice.

“I did some travel research and quickly realized that the total cost of four floor tickets to the Rio show,” he wrote, “airfare and a week at an Airbnb was cheaper than what it would cost to drive to Seattle, buy four nosebleed seats at the top of the stadium and stay one night in a hotel. Like… A LOT cheaper.”

The trip started as a promise made in the fall of 2021. His daughter, Sabina McMahon, found out she had osteosarcoma, a bone cancer found most often in children, adolescents and young adults. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, 800 new cases are reported in the U.S. each year.

During one of Sabina’s IV treatments, the avid Taylor Swift listener and “All Too Well” belter turned to McMahon and asked, “Daddy, if Taylor Swift ever goes on tour, can we go to one of her concerts?”

He smiled and said yes to his then 12-year-old.

“It is not an exaggeration to say Taylor Swift has helped power Sabina through her cancer journey,” Sean wrote. “The terror that accompanies the diagnosis, nine months of grueling in-patient chemotherapy, the loss of her hair, a brutal bone resection surgery that saw the bottom half of her femur and all of her knee replaced with titanium.”

McMahon pre-registered with Ticketmaster for the Eras Tour but couldn’t secure seats. He asked friends and family for any connections to Lumen Field. He checked ticket prices for domestic shows daily to see if they would drop. No luck, so he checked out Rio.

More:Can Congress fix Ticketmaster? New legislation, investigation take aim

Floor tickets to night three cost $65 each. Can you imagine? So he nabbed four tickets. Then, a week before the show, Sean noticed the weather forecast called for rain and lightening, he bought four more tickets to secure back-to-back nights.

Sabina made a sign for Monday night’s show inside the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos stadium: "You Helped Me Through Chemo." Strangers read the sign and parted the crowd to allow the family a front row spot to Swift's acoustic set. 

When Swift finished "So It Goes…" she saw the sign lit up by cellphone flashlights in the crowd, locked eyes with Sabina and smiled before diving into the stage. 

“Everyone around Rio was warm, the vibe was amazing,” Sean says. Because of the vast community of Swifties, he never felt unsafe. There was a secret language strangers spoke through friendship bracelets and colorful outfits.

Safety when traveling abroad

Out of the 20 countries not including the U.S. where Swift will take her behemoth and record-breaking show, Brazil is ranked the riskiest by the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

On a global map with safety ratings, all countries fall under “Exercise Normal Precaution” or “Exercise Increased Caution.” Brazil ranked as “Exercise Increased Caution - Contains Areas with Higher Security Risk.”

“Register your trip at step.state.gov,” said Andrea Davis, president and CEO of the Resiliency Initiative, a global consulting company focused on crisis management and risk mitigation planning. “Print out contact information for the local U.S. embassy closest to your destination.”

Davis offers these tips before traveling outside of the U.S.:

  • Research the destination in the CIA Factbook. Make note of any cultural sensitivities.
  • Consider the list of necessary vaccinations in each country.
  • Review your health insurance to ensure you have coverage, if not, consider purchasing international medical insurance. One company she uses is GeoBlue, but there are several good carriers available.
  • Send your itinerary with detailed contact information to a friend or family member.
  • Notify your credit card company and cell phone carrier.
  • Know the local currency.
  • Travel in groups and use a bag with a strap that goes across your chest.
  • Bring photocopies of your passports and prescriptions.
  • Bring a backup charger for your phone.
  • Know the number to call in an emergency. It is not 911 in most countries.

Welcome to the 2024 Eras Tour

McMahon bought his Rio tickets on resale through StubHub. 

“The minute we walked to the gate, the tickets dinged and they were legit,” he said. “I was so relieved.”

He said anyone traveling should make sure their passport is updated and valid for the next six months before leaving the country. 

Fans would need to acquire a visa to travel to Australia for Melbourne or Sydney shows. The cost to apply is less than $200, and it takes around two weeks to be approved.

More:You need a visa for these 80+ countries (including some the government wants you to avoid)

Nosebleeds in Melbourne are going for $190 and up. Standing room floor seats are $550 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

“Look at the math,” he said. “If my flight, AirBnb and ticket are cheaper to go in another country or even if it’s a wash, then you get a vacation and experience in another culture.”

Sabina is not out of the woods

In December, after the concert, a scan found a nodule on Sabina's left lung. A successful surgery removed the osteosarcoma, and the family has a started a GoFundMe to help with medical costs.

Sean said the one constant in Sabina's life has been the superstar. “My wife and I alternated nights staying in the hospital with Sabina. The amazing hospital staff was by Sabina’s side shift after shift. But the only person who was with Sabina 24/7 was Taylor Swift."

Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.

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