Necrotizing fasciitis is a flesh-eating bacterial infection that affects the tissue under the skin

Kennedy Mayer in a medically induced coma, covered with her Taylor Swift themed blanket.

Every night before bed, Kennedy Mayer listens to a different Taylor Swift album until she falls asleep.

The fourth-grader from Oak Park, Michigan, is a devoted fan, having watched all the music videos and memorized all the bonus tracks by heart. Her favorite album is 1989. In January, she even celebrated her birthday with a Swift-themed party.

However, everything changed for the 10-year-old in March when she was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis in her face, a flesh-eating bacterial infection that affects the tissue under the skin.

Kennedy Mayer at her Taylor Swift themed 10th birthday party. 

The diagnosis came while she was battling the flu and strep A. Kennedy’s mother, Meghan Mayer, 38, recalls Kennedy mentioning discomfort in her eye at the time. However, because it appeared normal, Meghan didn’t initially feel concerned.

A few days later, when Meghan noticed her daughter’s eye swelling and darkening, she and her husband, Thomas, took Kennedy to her pediatrician. Once at the doctor’s office, her pediatrician immediately sent them to the emergency room.

“She was basically in sepsis,” Meghan, who resides in Michigan with her family, tells PEOPLE exclusively, noting her daughter had multiple organ failures. “All of her numbers were just going crazy.”

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, necrotizing fasciitis can be caused by more than one type of bacteria, including group A strep. It can lead to sepsis if left untreated.

Kennedy Mayer in a medically induced coma, covered with her Taylor Swift themed blanket. 

Since being hospitalized, Kennedy has undergone eight surgeries. The first aimed to eradicate all bacteria from her body, while six subsequent surgeries involved removing any remaining dead tissue.

The final surgery was reconstructive, involving a skin graft for her eye taken from her left side, beneath her arm.

“She’s actually going to lose all of her toes except one,” Meghan adds, explaining how her daughter’s digits will auto-amputate over time.

Aside from losing her toes, Meghan says Kennedy is expected to make a full recovery. However, she will be more at risk for kidney disease.

To comfort her daughter throughout this difficult journey, Meghan decorated Kennedy’s hospital room in Ann Arbor with all her Swift merchandise, including a blanket constructed of Swift’s album covers.

After that, she says word quickly spread around the hospital about her love for the artist.

One day, Meghan was out fetching Kennedy dinner. When she came back and turned up the hall, she could hear music blasting from her daughter’s room.

When she arrived, Meghan saw a group of nurses with their phones’ flashlights on. Her daughter sat in the bed with a microphone in her hand singing “Love Story.”

“They were just all singing and dancing,” Meghan says. “I immediately just started crying.”

“Taylor Swift is kind of a big part of helping her make friends and then now kind of helping her through this entire healing process,” she continues.

Meghan pulled out her phone and recorded the moment. Later, she uploaded it to TikTok, where the video has since gone viral, garnering over 5.4 million views. The comment section became filled with kind notes and comments.

“That moment was so simple. It wasn’t like anything crazy, but it was just so cool,” Meghan says. “It was definitely one of those things that you’re just never going to forget.”

“The love, support, kindness and generosity from complete strangers has helped her healing process,” she continues. “Her face is different and it’s going to be different for a long time, and it may not ever look exactly the same as it used to.”

She adds, “Through these messages, she’s realizing it doesn’t matter what she looks like. And the Swifties are so great wanting to send her friendship bracelets and cards.”

The Mayer family in the outside courtyard of the hospital. Left to right: Thomas, Meghan, Kennedy, Elle (7). 

Since this video went viral, Meghan has continued to post updates on her daughter’s recovery on TikTok. Her goal is to teach parents how serious the flu is and the complications that can come from it. According to the Sepsis Alliance more than 18 children die from sepsis each day in the U.S.

“[Kennedy’s] very much aware of how unique her situation is, how special it is that she did survive,” Meghan, who is also a mother to daughter Ellie, 7, says. “I think she’s definitely going to become a little, definitely an advocate and raise awareness in whatever way that she can.”