Mom Makes Epic Eras Tour Costume for Her Son and His Wheelchair — and Someone in Taylor Swift's Circle Noticed (Exclusive)

• Louisville mom Erin Hinson shared a Tiktok post of her son Henry’s Eras Tour-inspired Halloween costume that went viral.
• The costume recreates fan dancers from the opening moments of a Taylor Swift concert.
• Erin made a DIY costume for her son, who is a wheelchair user, using pool noodles, fabric and spray paint.

It’s been a long time.

Henry Hinson has known for more than a year what he wants to be for Halloween 2024. His mom, Erin, tells PEOPLE that since last fall, her now 11-year-old — a huge Taylor Swift fan — has only been dressed in one costume since he saw Eras Tour movie in theaters early last October.

“He saw the opening, he saw Kam and Jan and some of the dancers come out, and they had, you know, big fans,” says Erin, 39, referring to the iconic pink and orange outfits Eras Tour dancers like Kam Saunders and Jan Ravnik wear during the first moments of the film and the concert. “And he went crazy in the theater. And when we were going out, he said, ‘Mom, that’s going to be me for next Halloween.’ And I said, ‘Son, it’s not the real Halloween for this year yet, we’re already planning for next year?’ And he never, ever doubted that I would be this for Halloween.”

Henry Hinson in his Eras Tour inspired Halloween costume, along with a mini Taylor Swift.

Erin Raley Hinson/Instagram

So this year, Erin got to work, using pool noodles and fabric for a fan, which Henry could flip back and forth all night. For his outfit, she used a pink hazmat suit that she spray-painted to match the tour costumes.

Henry, Erin says, uses a wheelchair because he was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth and is paralyzed from the waist down.

“When he was a baby, I always had this fear that Halloween would be the only holiday that turned him off because he couldn’t go to the door and go trick-or-treating,” she remembers. But when he was 3 or 4 years old, Erin’s family connected with Kosair, a charity in Louisville that helps medically challenged children. Kosair also has an annual event at the Louisville Zoo during which one night of the Boo at the Zoo event is reserved to be accessible to children with sensory issues or mobility needs.

Taylor Swift on stage at the Eras Tour with a fabric fan from one of the dancers behind her.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty

“Since he started going to this event every year, his Halloween costumes have gotten more and more elaborate,” explains Erin. Those costumes included a UPS truck, a fire truck, an ice cream truck, and a Supreme Court justice ensemble — complete with its own bench. His older brother Oliver, 13, also accompanied his sibling to the event in splashy costumes of his own.

For this year’s Boo at the Zoo, Erin placed a Bluetooth speaker in Henry’s wheelchair cup holder that played the music medley from The Eras Tour opener. “A lot of sororities volunteered to hand out candy that night, and every time he came around the corner, they said, ‘Oh my God!’ – says the proud mom.

Henry Hinson (left) and his brother Oliver in Halloween costumes at the Louisville Zoo.

Erin Raley Hinson/Instagram

When Erin posted a video of Henry in his costume on TikTok, it quickly got over 2 million views. She captioned it: “Since seeing the #erastour movie Henry has said he wants to be #kamsaunders for Halloween. We hope we did it justice! Happy #Halloween friends #swifties!” Even Eras dancer Ravnik chimed in, writing: “Love it!!!!!”

“He’s just an amazing kid,” Erin says of her son. “He has every right to be upset or resentful of the life he’s been given. He is 11 years old. He has had 21 major operations related to spina bifida. He was in and out of the hospital all his life. The situations Henry deals with are far greater than most of us will face in our lifetime. But still, the way you see it in that video is. He is the happiest child.”

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And one of the things that helps him manage his hospital stay and procedures, Erin says, is Swift’s music.

“When he’s getting ready to go for a two-hour MRI, he has noise-canceling headphones and Ere film on, or 1989, what’s his favorite album,” she says. She jokes that her family “by far” earned a Disney+ subscription based on how often Henry watched Swift’s concert film.

Henry Hinson at the Louisville Zoo in his Halloween costume in an ice cream truck.

Erin Raley Hinson/Instagram

“I don’t think he’ll ever understand the impact she had on this little life, because she brings him so much peace in times that aren’t peaceful,” adds Erin about the singer.

Henry hasn’t seen The Eras Tour in person due to accessibility issues, says Erin. For the same reason, he has yet to see his favorite football team – coincidentally Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs – at their stadium in Missouri. (However, hours after PEOPLE spoke with Erin, she shared the exciting news that he will be attending an Eras Tour concert in Indianapolis this fall thanks to the attention surrounding his costume.)

Henry Hinson in an astronaut and spaceship costume at the Louisville Zoo.

Erin Raley Hinson/Instagram

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Erin is delighted with the positive reception Henry’s costume has received online, calling it a “huge confidence boost” for him. And she is happy to show others that “disability looks like this. It seems like I’m figuring it out, day in and day out, to make sure my child is just living the best life he can live.”

Erin and Henry are also happy that her post has inspired some people to look for ways to make trick-or-treating more affordable, including moving the candy giveaway to the driveway, which many in her community are doing. And this October 31st, Henry will be there to celebrate, dressed in his Eras Tour homage.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education