Ironman Alex Donates over 3,000 Toys to Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida

“I have a child who is battling cancer, and all he is worried about is making other kids smile,” said Tiffany Meyer, Alex's mom. “When you see a child with cancer who can smile, you can, too.”

Alex Meyer is currently battling inoperable brain cancer, and every day he is proving himself to be a real life superhero.

It all started with Alex’s dream of giving back to other children who are fighting battles just like him. When he heard the toy room was running low, he knew he could help.

He set out with a big goal in mind, to raise 1,000 toys for Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to help fill the shelves just in time for the holidays.

Little did he know, people from all across the country would hear about his dream, and the gifts quickly began to pour in.

Every day, Alex and his family received dozens of donations, their house overflowing with new toys. In just three weeks, he reached his goal of 1,000 toys, but he didn’t stop there. Alex’s grand total was 3,354 toys for the patients at Golisano.

Alex has been known as a superhero to the staff. After Alex received his port for treatment, it reminded his mom of Ironman’s chest plate, and he was inspired to be just as strong as the Avenger.

When Ironman from Heroes Unmasked Inc. heard about Alex’s accomplishment, he and the other Avengers decided they wanted to help too, and they surprised him by delivering 25 boxes of toys to the hospital

Earlier this year, Alex’s mom knew something was wrong when he began experiencing strange symptoms including memory loss and impaired speech.

On March 5, 2020, Alex was diagnosed with a golf ball-sized brain tumor on his optic chiasm and invading his hypothalamus. It has not been an easy journey for Alex and his family. Because of where the tumor is located, Alex is only left with about 25 percent of his eyesight, and it continues to be a steady decline.

Not only did his family face this diagnosis, but they were also dealing with the beginning of the pandemic at the same time. However, Alex’s parents are determined to not let anything get in the way of his joy.

“He is a kid fighting cancer,” Tiffany said. “This can show other kids that no matter what you’re going through, you can still find joy, you can still be happy and you can still find the light.”

We would like to thank Carbon Press for donating a life size metal cutout of Alex as Ironman. Now, Alex can see himself as Ironman Alex every day and remember everything he has done to help the families fighting the unimaginable in Southwest Florida.

Thank you, Ironman Alex!

We are no longer accepting in-person donations. Donation questions and arrangements can be directed to the Child Life Department by contacting Stacie Kmetz at 239-343-6603 or stacie.kmetz@leehealth.org