A 9-year-old girl named Charlie Mae Meza passed away on February 14, 2026, bravely fighting hard against brain cancer for six whole years, survived by her parents and brothers.
She took her last breath after 19 days of celebrating her 9th birthday.
Charlie is survived by her parents, Taylor and Alecs, and her younger brothers Theo and Jackson.
Born on January 27, 2017, Charlie was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in 2020 when she was just 3 years old.
Following the diagnosis, her mother, Taylor, started sharing updates about everything she went through via Instagram. They saw pictures of Charlie smiling even when things were hard, and her mom posted about treatments, hospital days, and the little happy moments too.
It was in the fall of last year that things started getting worse. Taylor revealed that doctors said an experimental drug trial, which felt like their last real hope, probably wouldn’t work for Charlie’s cancer.
Even so, the mother kept hoping and said they would try to beat what the doctors expected. She talked about leaning on God instead of just figuring it out on her own.
Toward the end of 2025, Charlie began new steroid treatments to help with her symptoms. But in January 2026, the pain got a lot stronger, and she had to go to the hospital.
She stayed there for more than two weeks under the doctors’ care. After that, she came home and went into hospice so the family could keep her comfortable at home.
On February 11, Taylor posted that they were doing everything they could to make sure Charlie felt rested and not in so much pain anymore.
She revealed that upon arriving at the hospital to control her nausea, the NP and oncologists looked up at each other’s faces.
With a heavy heart, she wrote,
“It could be days.”
She added:
We’ve decided to stay and keep Charlie comfortable with all hands on deck. Thankfully, what they’re doing seems to be working well and she’s been significantly more restful and comfortable.
Thank you all for loving our girl and our family. We will be taking this time to be with family and friends and cherish every moment we have left.
It seemed to help for a little while; however, on February 14, Charlie took her last breath, fighting cancer bravely.
The next day, February 15, Taylor shared the news on Instagram. She wrote Charlie’s full name, date of birth, and her passing date, simply writing
“She is free.”
People who followed her story felt heartbroken. Many left comments full of love, telling Taylor how strong she was as a mom and how much Charlie meant to them.
Some said all moms were crying with her, and others promised to keep cheering for Charlie forever. The comments showed how many hearts she touched, even though she was so young.
Before she died, a family friend named Libby Kranz started a GoFundMe page to help the Meza family. It was to pay for Charlie’s urn, the funeral services, and just to ease some of the everyday stresses during this awful time.
By around February 16 or 17, it had raised more than $94,000, and later updates showed it going over $97,000 or even $98,000 toward a $100,000 goal.
During this difficult time, we pray for the strength of Charlie Mae Meza’s parents, brothers, and extended family.
Rest In Heavenly Peace, Charlie Mae Meza!
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