Lilah Smoot GoFundMe donations surge days after Taylor Swift’s $100000 contribution to toddler battling cancer

Two-year-old Lilah Smoot from North Carolina has won people's hearts all over the country, as she fights against a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer called an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT).

After a video of Lilah Smoot dancing to Taylor Swift's music went viral, the pop star made a surprise $100,000 donation to the family's GoFundMe campaign, which led others to support the family as well.

Katelynn Smoot and her two-year-old daughter, Lilah—who is courageously battling Stage 4 brain cancer—joined @GriffJenkins on @FoxNews' @foxandfriends to share their story. Superstar @taylorswift13 recently donated $100,000 to Lilah’s GoFundMe, helping support her fight for… pic.twitter.com/ckYvtjcQpC

— StudiGo (@StudiGo_LLC) October 19, 2025

Lilah’s story began in February, when her mother, Katelynn Smoot, was in labor with her son William. In a tragic twist, doctors were calling to tell her that Lilah had experienced a seizure at home and was being rushed to the emergency room. A follow-up scan discovered a mass on the toddler’s brain that was later diagnosed as a stage 4 tumor.

"When the pathology confirmed it was one of the most aggressive tumors, we just cried. We cried for three days straight... I remember looking at my husband and saying, ‘I just don’t want her to die.' With Lilah’s cancer, if you don’t treat it, there’s a 100 percent chance she’s going to die." Katelynn told people.

The Smoots have since become full-time caregivers for Lilah, stepping away from jobs and overseeing her treatment at various hospitals, including Duke Children’s Hospital in Durham and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for proton radiation therapy.

More about Lilah’s health as Katelynn Smoot records every step of her daughter’s health development

For Katelynn, the long and grueling process of treating Lilah would wind up serving several purposes. Throughout the ordeal, she started documenting Lilah’s experience on social media as a coping mechanism and to raise awareness about pediatric cancer.

"That’s when I realized I wasn’t just sharing for myself anymore — I was doing it to raise awareness. Pediatric cancer is so real. It’s not as rare as people think," Katelynn Smoot said.

Her heartfelt posts attracted a growing community of supporters, but it was a short video of Lilah joyfully dancing to Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” song from The Tortured Poets Department album that scored an unexpected response from the pop star herself.

Lilah Smoot is just two years old and is battling a rare and aggressive form of Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor that she was diagnosed with at 18 months old. https://t.co/nVfusaSR4b

— WSPA 7NEWS (@WSPA7) October 21, 2025

Days after the video circulated on the internet, Lilah’s father, Tyler, got an alert that was shocking: Taylor Swift had donated $100,000 to their GoFundMe, along with a message that read: "Sending you the biggest hug, to my friend Lilah."

"For about 30 minutes, we questioned if it was real. But then we saw it come through on the back end of GoFundMe, along with a message... That’s when I knew Taylor really saw the video — and she meant it." Katelynn Smoot remarked.

Since Swift’s entrance, donations to the fundraiser, “Stand by Lilah in Her Cancer Fight,” have exploded, as people from all over the world contribute money to support the family with costs associated with treatment and living expenses while Lilah undergoes a long series of treatments.

The flood of generosity, Katelynn says, has offered both emotional and financial relief. On the other hand, halfway through her radiation treatment now, Lilah Smoot supposedly remains as resilient as ever.