Taylor Swift donates $100,000 for a girl with cancer & a wave of solidarity breaks out.
Taylor Swift showed her generosity on Friday, October 17, supporting the GoFundMe campaign for a girl with cancer. Swift’s fans also took part in the campaign. This meant that a large amount of money could be generated for a good cause.
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How it all began
Katelynn Smoot, the mother of the sick child, had shared videos on the TikTok platform in recent weeks in which her two-year-old daughter Lilah was seen dancing to the singer’s music video “The Fate of Ophelia”. In one of the clips, the girl pointed to the screen of the iPad on which the video was playing – and when Taylor Swift appeared on it, she said with joy: “That’s my girlfriend!”
Lilah Smoot had to start chemotherapy for a “very rare, aggressive form of brain cancer” in March 2025. After the diagnosis, her mother Katelynn SMoot started a fundraising campaign to finance her daughter’s medical care.
About the little fan’s video:
Touching message from Taylor Swift to Lilah
After the mother’s videos went viral, the GoFundMe campaign received a $100,000 donation on Friday, October 17 – accompanied by the message: “A big hug to my friend Lilah! With love, Taylor.” Taylor Swift was behind it.
Swift sparks a movement with donation
The singer’s generous gesture inspired numerous Swifties to follow her example. Since then, countless donations have been received with the subject “13” – Swift’s favorite number. Before the artist’s contribution, the campaign had only recorded three donations totaling just under $2,000. At the time of writing this article, October 20th, 314,677 US dollars had already been collected – the equivalent of 271,503 euros. The original fundraising goal of $100,000 was far exceeded.
Reaction of mother and daughter to the donations
In response to the performer’s donation, Katelynn Smoot posted a video in which she and Lilah danced to “The Fate of Ophelia” and thanked the songwriter for her generosity: “Thank you Taylor Swift, we can’t put it into words. Now we can focus on being there for our girl.”
In other clips, mother and daughter thanked the Swifties profusely. The hype surrounding the GoFundMe campaign also landed the two of them a TV appearance on the morning show “Fox & Friends”.