Taylor Swift Donates $100,000 to Family of Infant Battling Brain Cancer
Pop superstar Taylor Swift has donated $100,000 to a GoFundMe campaign established for Lilah Smoot, a baby girl diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. The donation comes after the Smoot family shared their story and love for Swift, especially stemming from attending the Eras Tour while pregnant with Lilah.
The significant gift will allow Lilah’s parents to focus on her treatment without the added burden of financial strain. Lilah was diagnosed earlier this year after suffering a seizure, and subsequently found to have a stage 4 tumor which was removed in March.She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and will soon begin six weeks of proton radiation therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, requiring the family to travel and temporarily relocate. The GoFundMe campaign, launched in march, had already raised over $167,000 from more than 2,000 people before Swift’s contribution.
Smoot shared a video of herself and Lilah dancing to “the Life of Ophelia,” reacting to the news and expressing her gratitude. “Thank you beyond words, Taylor Swift. We can now just focus on being here with our girl.Truly, we are so grateful… You have no idea what this means to our family,” she captioned the post.
the Smoot family initially considered naming Lilah Willow, a reference to Swift’s Folklore album, but ultimately chose lilah. They have openly shared their connection to Swift’s music throughout Lilah’s treatment journey.
According to the GoFundMe page, donations will assist with travel expenses and bills as Lilah’s parents are currently out of work while focusing on her care. The family will be traveling several hundred miles from home to receive proton radiation therapy.
