CINCINNATI — Some superheroes are born in comic books. Others are busy building LEGO and dreaming up their next big creation.
For 16-year-old Meshaun Tubbs, being a superhero means something more. As he fights a rare and aggressive form of cancer, he is using his own experience to remind other patients that they are not alone.
“I just want people to know that they're supported,” Meshaun said.
Diagnosed in 2022 with stage 3 Spindle Cell Sclerosing Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of pediatric cancer, Meshaun has endured years of treatment and uncertainty. But even as he faces his own challenges, he has made it his mission to bring hope to others through his nonprofit, Mighty Meshaun.
Meshaun's cancer journey began when his doctor discovered a small lump near his upper back.
“She found a small lump in his upper right spinal area, which is back here,” Keisha Tubbs, Meshaun's mother, recalled.
After his diagnosis, Meshaun's care was transferred to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where he began treatment.
“I got the call that his care would be handled, handed over to an oncologist at Cincinnati Children's. It still didn't click,” Keisha said.
By 2024, Meshaun had undergone 42 chemotherapy treatments and 36 proton therapy treatments. Proton therapy is a type of radiation treatment that uses targeted beams of protons to damage cancer cells while helping limit radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Despite the extensive treatment, the cancer returned after it had been expected to go into remission.
In February, Meshaun said the cancer spread to his lungs and returned more aggressively.
“This year in February, it came back in my lungs twice as aggressive as ever. So now I have to be stuck on chemo for the rest of my life,” he said.
The treatment schedule has taken a physical and emotional toll.
“It freaking sucks. Like every few weeks, I have to go to the hospital, stay out of there for like the majority of the day, throwing up, then I come home, then I repeat that for like five days,” Meshaun said.
For Keisha, watching her son endure the effects of treatment is its own kind of struggle.
“The hardest part for me is sitting there and watching the toxins that you know are not good at all for your child,” she said.
Experts say rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare myogenic or muscular tumor that typically impacts about 300 children and adolescents.
Dr. Joseph Pressey is Meshaun's pediatric oncologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
"The spindle cell sclerosing subtype, there may only be 5 or 10 a year in the United States," Pressey explained. "So exceedingly rare. What makes Meshaun's tumor even more rare is the genetic makeup of the tumor."
Still, amid the uncertainty and difficult days, Meshaun has found a way to turn his experience into something meaningful.
Mighty Meshaun was created to support children, teenagers and adults navigating cancer. The nonprofit provides thoughtful gifts and practical items intended to help patients feel cared for during an often overwhelming journey.
The effort began with cancer shirts Meshaun sewed and designed to give patients easier access to their medical ports during treatment.
From there, the initiative grew to include “Mighty Bags,” $50 gift cards, toys or other items of choice for children, kindness cards and additional random acts of kindness.
Each gift is a reminder that someone is thinking about the person behind the diagnosis.
For families facing repeated hospital visits, mounting expenses and the emotional weight of cancer, that gesture can mean more than words can express.
“It truly feels good that Meshaun has a heart to give to others even in his battle,” Keisha said.
Meshaun's work is also helping connect families who may otherwise feel isolated as they navigate the realities of cancer treatment.
Keisha said she takes pride in seeing her son continue to care for others despite everything he is going through.
“So it, it feels good to have a kid with his heart,” she said.
Now, Meshaun has an opportunity to take his mission even further.
He is competing in the Stan Lee Super Kids competition and has advanced to the top 5. If selected as the next Super Kid, he will star in a Stan Lee Universe comic book, and $25,000 will go toward Mighty Meshaun to help support families affected by pediatric cancer.
The prize could help expand the nonprofit's reach and allow it to support more patients and families.
For Meshaun, the recognition is about more than becoming a comic book hero. It is an opportunity to show others that even in the midst of a difficult diagnosis, there is still room for kindness, connection and hope.
“You're not alone,” he said.
And while his own battle continues, Meshaun is finding strength in the difference he can make in someone else's life.
“It does actually make me pretty proud, and it's really cool that I get to be my own superhero,” he said.
Meshaun's story reminds us that heroism does not always come with a cape or superpowers. Sometimes, it looks like a teenager creating gifts for strangers, supporting families he understands all too well, and choosing to give even when he has so much to face himself.
Because what makes this superhero extraordinary isn't just the battle he's fighting.
It's his determination to make sure no one else is alone in theirs.
From now until Nov. 19, Meshaun needs your votes to win.
CLICK HERE to vote.
