Ella Piazza. PHOTO: JESSICA PIAZZA

Ella Piazza couldn’t stop smiling after meeting Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce.

The 8-year-old Rochester, New York girl — who went viral after a shirtless Kelce, 36, helped her wave at Swift, 34, during Sunday’s Bills-Chiefs playoff game — and her mother, Jessica Piazza, tell PEOPLE that the once-in-a-lifetime moment left Ella “in shock” during the second half of the game.

“Ella sat in shock the remainder of the game, and I was also so excited about the interaction as a Swiftie myself,” says Jessica, who was overjoyed that her “daughter’s dream just came true!”

The moment almost didn’t happen, though. Before halftime of Sunday’s game, the mother-daughter duo weren’t even on the same side of the stadium as Kelce, Swift and their suite full of friends and family. “We were actually across the stadium in our seats and everyone was telling us where she was,” says Jessica. “A really nice man in front of us had binoculars and let Ella use them to try and spot her before the game!”

A friend of Jessica’s knew someone sitting just below the Kelce family suite, and they offered to switch seats with Ella and Jessica who hoped to show the “Mastermind” singer her sign. Once in the section below Swift’s suite, Ella got creative during the break and “climbed up the bleachers” after noticing “many people had left during halftime.”

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Ella says that Swift “smiled and waved at her” when Kelce approached the suite with her in his arms.

Immediately following the big moment where Ella — whose sign read, “Buffalo Bills + Taylor Swift = Best First Game Ever” snapped a photo with Kelce, the lucky fan’s mom says Ella was brought to tears with joy.

Ella Piazza. JESSICA PIAZZA

“Ella took a couple of minutes after where she was crying happy tears and telling me what happened,” says Jessica.

Once the second half started, Jessica says she and Ella went back to their original seats. “We didn’t want to block anyone’s view and had the experience of a lifetime,” says the mother.

Ella Piazza. JESSICA PIAZZA

Despite the outcome of the game not going their way (the Bills lost 24-27 and were eliminated from the postseason), Jessica says she and Ella “have the best story now from going to the game!”

And although Kelce’s loyalty remains to his Philadelphia Eagles (and occasionally his brother Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs), Jessica says the Buffalo fans “seemed to love Jason when he came out” into the stands to say hi.

“He had come out once before that to take selfies and cheer with some fans. Everyone was cheering. He really is an honorary Bills Mafia! He has the same energy,” the mother says of Kelce, who also tailgated with Bills fans before the game.

Ella returned to school on Wednesday after giving a handful of interviews, including an appearance on the Today show, and Jessica says her classmates were thrilled when she returned.

“When I dropped her off, everyone was cheering for her,” Jessica tells PEOPLE.

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Ella dressed the part for her big moment with Swift on Sunday. In a photo Jessica shared with PEOPLE, Ella shows off her “Lover” jacket, just one of many pieces of Swift merchandise owned by the young fan, who attended the singer’s Eras Tour last year.

Ella Piazza. JESSICA PIAZZA

Even days after the meeting, Jessica says she and Ella “want to say a big thank you Taylor and Jason for making my daughter’s dream come true!”

“We can’t put into words how incredible this experience has been.”

Travis, 34, and the Kansas City Chiefs went on to beat the Buffalo Bills 27-24, securing them a spot in the AFC Championship, where they’ll face the Baltimore Ravens for the chance to compete at Super Bowl LVIII.

The Super Bowl kicks off on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.