Charlie Meza dies at 9: Mother shares her inspiring cancer journey online

Charlie Meza, the 9-year-old social media star whose mother documented her life with brain cancer, has died.

“She is free,” her mother, Taylor Meza, wrote in an Instagram post on Feb. 15 sharing the heartbreaking news.

Charlie was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2020 at just 3 years old. 

Over the past six years, Taylor shared her daughter’s journey on Instagram under the handle Cheering for Charlie, attracting more than 100,000 followers who followed every milestone, treatment, and moment of hope.

In the fall of 2025, Taylor revealed that Charlie’s condition had worsened, and doctors informed the family that an experimental drug trial, which they called their “last hope” was unlikely to be effective. 

“Hoping to continue to defy all medical expectations,” Taylor wrote in November. “Expecting the unexpected. Lean on God and not on my own logic and understanding.”

Although Charlie began new steroid treatments at the end of 2025, she was hospitalized in January due to escalating pain, remaining under close medical supervision for over two weeks. At the end of January, she entered hospice care at home.

“We’ve decided to stay and keep Charlie comfortable with all hands on deck,” Taylor shared on Feb. 11. “Thankfully, what they’re doing seems to be working well and she’s been significantly more restful and comfortable.”

In the days before her death, friends of the Meza family created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and provide support for the family. As of Feb. 16, the fundraiser had raised over $94,000.

Charlie’s courage and her family’s openness in sharing her journey touched thousands online, inspiring support, awareness, and admiration from around the world.