Social Media Star Charlie Meza Dies at Age 9 After Documenting Life with Brain Cancer

Charlie Meza, a 9-year-old social media star whose mother documented her life with brain cancer, died on Feb. 14. She was 9.

“She is free,” her mom, Taylor, captioned a Feb. 15 Instagram post sharing the news of her death.

In 2020, when Charlie was 3 years old, she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that primarily affects children. Over the last six years, Taylor has documented her daughter’s cancer journey on Instagram with the handle “Cheering for Charlie,” where over 100,000 followed her treatments.

PEOPLE reached out to Meza for comment.

Over the course of the fall, Taylor shared that her daughter’s health had taken a downturn, as they were told by doctors that an experimental drug trial — which she called their “last hope” — was unlikely to be an effective treatment for her cancer.

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

Though Charlie started undergoing new steroid treatments at the end of 2025, she was rushed to the hospital in January as her pain levels increased, staying under the supervision of medical professionals for over two weeks. She entered hospice care from her home at the end of January.

“We’ve decided to stay and keep Charlie comfortable with all hands on deck,” shared Taylor on Instagram 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 Charlie died, friends of the Meza family opened a GoFundMe to cover the cost of Charlie’s urn, funeral services and support the family through their grief. The fundraiser had raised over $94,000 as of Feb. 16.

Charlie Meza, a 9-year-old social media star whose mother documented her life with brain cancer, died on Feb. 14. She was 9.

“She is free,” her mom, Taylor, captioned a Feb. 15 Instagram post sharing the news of her death.

In 2020, when Charlie was 3 years old, she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that primarily affects children. Over the last six years, Taylor has documented her daughter’s cancer journey on Instagram with the handle “Cheering for Charlie,” where over 100,000 followed her treatments.

PEOPLE reached out to Meza for comment.

Over the course of the fall, Taylor shared that her daughter’s health had taken a downturn, as they were told by doctors that an experimental drug trial — which she called their “last hope” — was unlikely to be an effective treatment for her cancer.

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

Though Charlie started undergoing new steroid treatments at the end of 2025, she was rushed to the hospital in January as her pain levels increased, staying under the supervision of medical professionals for over two weeks. She entered hospice care from her home at the end of January.

“We’ve decided to stay and keep Charlie comfortable with all hands on deck,” shared Taylor on Instagram 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 Charlie died, friends of the Meza family opened a GoFundMe to cover the cost of Charlie’s urn, funeral services and support the family through their grief. The fundraiser had raised over $94,000 as of Feb. 16.