https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ssjkzg/eeka_mccloud_-_6_15_22_951_PM91fpq.mp3
EPISODE SUMMARY:
A single mother and social media influencer, Eeka McLeod has cultivated millions of views and followers through sharing the highs and lows of her beautiful, unique family. In today’s episode, we sat down to discuss how Eeka became a foster parent, what it’s like to foster multiple children, her journey on Tik Tok, and the future of her career.
First, we asked Eeka about how she decided to become a foster parent. She told us that ever since she was a little girl, she always knew she wanted to adopt. However, it wasn’t until she was in high school that she learned about foster parents. As a teenager, Eeeka was on a cheerleading team, and after meeting other girls whose parents fostered kids, she realized she wanted to do the same. After receiving a license to foster in graduate school, she began welcoming children into her house. While the process of receiving a license can be intense, since there is an extensive amount of paperwork, classes, and at home studies, she said it has all been worth it. Eeka has fostered 18 children, and when asked about the process of receiving and caring for those kids, she explained that the situation can vary from home to home. When you’re licensed, you can only be allowed to foster a certain number of children at once. Social workers look at the size, location, and local regulations of your home to determine how many children would be best suited for your situation. For her, since she was a single mother, her maximum was five children at one time. When asked what she would say to parents who are considering fostering but are unsure if they could handle giving the child back, she advised for those parents to take a close look at themselves. If you do not believe you could foster a child without being traumatized by having to give them back, then you may want to consider other options, for you could end up stressing out the child you foster. Eeka also mentioned an issue known as “one and done”, where many foster parents will try to foster one child and are so traumatized by the experience that they never foster again.
Out of the 18 children Eeka has fostered, she’s adopted three: Eli, Evan, and Ella. She said that as a foster parent, she had one rule, which was that if a child she fostered didn’t have an option of relocation, they would become part of her family. Her journey to adopting each of her children is different, and for Evan, adoption originally wasn’t in Eeka’s plan. Eeeka had actually given Evan to a friend who had wanted a baby, since Evan was only two months old at the time of being fostered. However, Evan had issues as a result of being exposed to drugs, and after one night with him, her friend returned Evan to Eeka. After that, Eeka vowed never to put Evan through that again and adopted them.
As a mother of three children with needs, Eeka is no stranger to medical emergencies. However, she shared with us a terrifying experience she’d had recently with her son, Eli. Eli’s biological mother had attempted to kill herself while pregnant with Eli and ended up committing suicide after he was born. Due to this, Eli was born with several medical issues including cerebral palsy, short gut, optic nerve problems, fetal alcohol syndrome, and epilepsy. Doctors have told Eeka that Eli has less than a 40% chance of living past 20, and that he is likely to die of a seizure. One day, after Eeka had sent Eli to school, she received a phone call while at home. It was from Eli’s school, and they told her that Eli had a seizure and 911 and paramedics were called. Eeka raced over to the school, and when telling the story, she spoke about how angry she was on the drive there. Up until this point, Eli had never had a seizure, and she was terrified that he was going to die. She said she just kept thinking how she wanted more time with him and how important it was for him to know that she was there. Once she arrived at the school, she and Eli rode an ambulance to a local children’s hospital, where Eli received treatment. Doctors said that Eli may have more seizures now that he’s had his first, but he’s now medicated and back at school doing well.
Eeka’s TikTok, The McLeod Fam, has over 2.4 million followers. When asked about her success, she said that it was a complete accident. She joined TikTok in 2019 after being prompted by a friend, and after posting her first few videos in 2020, a few went viral and brought her more popularity. The goal of her videos is to always promote kindness and inclusivity as well as bring awareness to the kinds of medical issues her children deal with. By showing her followers the realities and lack of funding her children’s medical conditions receive, she hopes to inspire others to promote change and make a difference. One of Eeka’s most famous collaborations on TikTok was with a popular group known as the Old Gays. Eeka told us that before meeting them, she had been following the Old Gays for a while and loved their content. She decided to comment on one of their videos asking if they wanted to collaborate, and after messaging with them, devised a plan to have all of the men wear dresses in support of Evan. Eeka drove two hours to meet them in Palm Springs, and she said that they were so kind and welcoming. All of the Old Gays bought dresses just for that occasion, and Eeka said that how their acceptance and inclusion was what she wanted her video with them to highlight, rather than it just being about Evan.
Being on social media comes with both positives and negatives, and for Eeka, she believes she resonates with audiences due to her family’s authenticity. While not everyone can relate to their specific struggles, everyone can connect with being an underdog. And while there are people who send them hate on a daily basis, Eeka tries to use humor as a way to deal with it. Finally, we asked Eeka what she hopes to do in the future, and she told us she’d like to do a reality television series with her family.
Eeka McLeod
A single mother to three wonderful children, Eeka McLeod’s motherhood journey began years ago, when she made the decision to pursue her dreams of adopting children. Once she became a licensed foster parent during graduate school, she began bringing children into her home. During her time as a foster parent, she cared for 18 children and ended up adopting three of them: Eli, Evan, and Ella. Eli has Cerebal Palsy and Evan and Ella are on the Autism Spectrum. She has dedicated her time to not only caring for their needs but also helping them build new, unique ways to express their individuality. Through social media, the McLeod family has built a devoted fanbase, cultivating over 2.4 million followers on TikTok, 102,000 followers on Instagram, and over 151,000 subscribers on YouTube. Their content shows both the vulnerable and light sides to their daily triumphs and challenges, and audiences have grown to love the McLeod family for their authenticity and humor.
In this episode, we discuss…
- [0:01] Bossa Bars
- [0:53] Guest Introduction
- [4:07] Start of Interview
- [4:49] Becoming a Foster Parent
- [9:04] The Process of Fostering Children
- [13:50] Adopting Her Children
- [19:41] Dealing with Medical Emergencies
- [33:01] Eeka’s Journey on Tik Tok
- [36:06] How Evan Ended Up Collaborating with the Old Gays on Tik Tok
- [41:42] Why Eeka’s Family Resonates with Audiences and Responding to Hate
- [45:56] The Future of Eeka’s Career
- [47:46] Closing Thoughts
- [48:23] Outro
Useful Resources:
Eeka’s TikTok I [https://www.tiktok.com/@themcleodfam?lang=en]
The McLeod Fam’s YouTube Channel I [https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMcLeodFam/videos]
The McLeod Family’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/themcleodfamily/?hl=en]
TRY BOSSA BARS FOR MENOPAUSE AND USE CODE “HOTCOOL10” FOR 10% OFF AT https://bossabars.com/ !
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