‘Tough Like Taylor’: Alexandria 9-Year-Old With Leukemia Inspires Community Blood Drive
After receiving 11 blood transfusions during her battle with leukemia, Taylor McLeod wanted to help make sure other children would never have to go without.
Alexandria, VA — It was all smiles as 9-year-old Taylor McLeod arrived at the blood drive she organized through Children’s National Hospital, surrounded by her parents, grandmother, and younger brothers, all wearing matching hot pink lightning-bolt T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase: “Tough Like Taylor.”
Already an inspiration to her community, “Tough Like Taylor” has become more than a slogan for the McLeod family — it is the mantra they live by as Taylor navigates the difficult, and often terrifying, journey of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-Cell ALL).
Only a few months ago, Taylor’s mother, Andrea, brought her to Children’s National after noticing that the then-8-year-old had become unusually and inexplicably fatigued.
Nothing could have prepared the family for what came next: Taylor was diagnosed with B-Cell ALL and needed to begin treatment — including blood transfusions — immediately.
Their lives changed in an instant. But Taylor, along with her parents and two younger brothers, has faced the unimaginable with courage, resilience, and grace.
Finding Strength Through Community
Taylor’s mother, Andrea — a child and family therapist in private practice — found a way to keep friends and family updated while also helping others facing similar battles. Through regular posts on CaringBridge, Andrea documents the family’s journey with honesty, compassion, and hope.
The platform allows families to share medical updates and connect supporters with resources such as fundraising pages. For families facing long-term illness, the financial burden can quickly become overwhelming.
“We have a GoFundMe to help with her medical costs and my missed wages at work,” Andrea explained. “I am a child and family therapist in private practice, so when I don’t work, I don’t get paid. Her treatment will last two more years, so it’s a long haul.”
Supporters can contribute through the family’s GoFundMe page.
For anyone wanting to better understand what it is like to live with the uncertainty of childhood cancer while still finding moments of joy and gratitude, Andrea’s entries — beginning in December 2025 — offer a deeply moving window into that experience.
Andrea also spoke about the extraordinary support the family has received from local businesses and community members, expressing particular gratitude to Rosemont Landscaping & Construction, Jillian Hogan Homes, and Monday’s Child, among many others.
A Birthday Blood Drive
The blood drive was held in honor of Taylor’s ninth birthday, celebrated on May 13. When asked what inspired the effort, Andrea shared the story behind it.
“During one of her first blood transfusions — she’s had 11 so far — Taylor asked how blood was made, and that started the conversation,” Andrea said. “We talked about how people donate blood, and she was amazed that there were people willing to take time out of their day to help kids like her.”
During the earliest weeks of treatment, the family kept a running list titled Things to Be Thankful For. Blood donors sat at the very top.
“Then she asked what would happen if there wasn’t enough blood when she needed it,” Andrea continued. “We talked about blood shortages and places in the world where blood may not always be available. She immediately asked if she could give blood so other kids would have enough.”
That was the beginning of the idea for the blood drive.
“She loved knowing that blood donated to Children’s stays at Children’s and might go to her or one of her friends on the floor,” Andrea said. “It was a small way to give back because people have been so generous to us. The blood drive was our way of helping make sure kids like Taylor get to celebrate more life too.”
More Than One Child Helped
The community response was extraordinary. Every appointment slot for the mobile blood drive filled weeks in advance.
Still, the need for blood donations remains constant.
Beth Riggs of Children’s National Hospital emphasized that donors are urgently needed year-round, particularly during the summer months when donations traditionally decline.
“Taylor is still in treatment, and she will likely continue benefiting from future donors,” Riggs explained. “People can donate directly at the Blood Donor Center at Children’s National Hospital or even host their own blood drives. One donated unit can help three to six patients.”
More information about donating blood or hosting a drive is available through the Children’s National Blood Donor Center.
Riggs also noted that donating at Children’s is designed to be simple and accessible. While appointments are encouraged for Plasma and Platelet donations, walk-ins are welcome, and many donations take less than an hour. To host a blood drive, it is best to call one month in advance. Parking reimbursement is also available for donors.
With a nationwide blood shortage continuing to impact hospitals across the country, every donation can make a life-saving difference.
Tough Like Taylor
In the midst of hospital visits, transfusions, uncertainty, and years of treatment ahead, Taylor McLeod has managed to transform gratitude into action and fear into compassion for others.
At just 9 years old, she is already showing an entire community what it truly means to be “Tough Like Taylor.”
