Taylor Swift drops $100K donation to NC toddler with brain cancer; mom shares journey on TikTok

MADISON, N.C. (WTVD) -- Pop star Taylor Swift has "quietly" donated $100,000 to a North Carolina toddler who has stage 4 brain cancer.

The girl, Lilah Smoot, and her family live in the Rockingham County town of Madison.

Although the parents opened the online account in March, Swift donated to the online fundraiser on Oct. 17.

Lilah's mom, Katelynn, told ABC11 that they were surprised by the donation and were not contacted by Swift or any of her public relations staff.

Katelynn said her husband happened to check the account on Friday and alerted her that Swift had made a huge donation. She posted a video and this caption after learning of Swift's gift:

"I cannot say thank you enough. I'm truly in shock. This means we don't have to worry about anything other than Lilah. Truly such a blessing. Thank you @Taylor Swift"

The family has a 'standwithlilah' TikTok account that is documenting the 2-year-old's battle with cancer. Katelynn said it also helps her deal with the challenges of life.

The mom shared how the brain tumor was discovered.

"Lilah had a seizure while I was in labor with my son. A doctor came in and told me Lilah was in the ER downstairs and had a brain tumor."

"I've always used TikTok like a diary. It's a way for me to cope and process my emotions. The good and the bad. My husband and I are very positive and reasonable people," she said. "Childhood cancer is very dark and sad. If we can't find a reason to smile at the end of the day, then we would just lose ourselves to the endless sadness that comes with this kind of diagnosis. I just want to be happy while Lilah is here and make as many good memories as we can."

The videos also revealed what a huge Swift fan the mom is.

The toddler is normally treated at Duke University Hospital. However, the family is currently at a children's hospital in Philadelphia, where Lilah is receiving radiation.

"The treatment she is getting now is proton radiation. Duke has photon radiation, but they do not have a proton. Proton is a lot more precise and hopefully won't damage any healthy brain tissue. Radiation is not favorable for children under 3 years old, so we had to travel to get the radiation with the least amount of side effects," Katelynn told ABC11.

How is Lilah?

"Lilah is doing well. She is handling treatment really well. The chemo was harder on her body. The radiation is a walk in the park in comparison. She gets treatment every weekday and afterward acts like nothing even happened," Katelynn said.

The family hopes to be home by Thanksgiving.