Team Alex

Meet Alex

Alex Smith is our 13-year-old son from Ames, Iowa. He's bright, curious, creative, and has a wonderful sense of humor.

Alex has always loved space, astronomy, and technology. He enjoys using his telescope, building and launching rockets in Kerbal Space Program, and creating electronic and ambient music under the name SyncAxiom. He even taught himself to play guitar by watching YouTube videos. He's also an excellent writer and the kind of kid who can spend hours learning about something that interests him.

You can listen to some of Alex's music on SoundCloud →

Alex's Story

In late September 2026, Alex began experiencing dizziness and nausea. He had recently been sick with a virus, so we initially thought he might be dealing with vertigo. Over the following days, his symptoms progressed rapidly. He began having difficulty walking and speaking, and it became clear that something more serious was happening.

During an ER visit on September 29, doctors discovered a tumor in Alex's brainstem. He was transferred by ambulance to University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City. Soon after arriving, we met with his care team to discuss the findings and develop a treatment plan.

Alex underwent a biopsy in early October and was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer. Because of the tumor's location in his brainstem, it cannot be surgically removed. He began radiation treatment in October.

Alex spent more than three weeks in the PICU. During that time, he faced serious breathing challenges and pneumonia. He was eventually able to breathe on his own again and move to the pediatric oncology floor. These were important milestones for him and for our family.

The tumor has significantly affected Alex's movement, speech, and swallowing. His recovery and care involve many challenges, but we've also seen encouraging progress. We're incredibly proud of how hard he's working and the strength he's shown through all of this.

We're continuing to explore what treatment options or clinical trials might be available beyond radiation. One of our biggest hopes is that Alex will continue making progress and become strong enough to pursue additional treatment if an appropriate opportunity becomes available. Much will depend on his condition and the options available to him.

It's heartbreaking to watch Alex go through all of this, especially at just 13 years old. We wish more than anything that we could take it away from him. But Alex continues to show us just how strong he is. We love our boy, and we'll keep doing everything we can for him.

Our Family

Alex is the youngest of our three sons, and we're also fortunate to have a wonderful daughter-in-law. We're from Ames, Iowa, where life before Alex's diagnosis was the usual mix of work, school, sports, friends, pets, and family time.

Since Alex's diagnosis, Sean and I have been staying in Iowa City to be with him, while our family helps keep things going at home. It's been a huge adjustment for all of us, and we're grateful for the support that has allowed us to focus on Alex's care.

Cardinal and Gold, With a Little Black and Gold

We're proud Iowa State Cyclones, and the Cyclone community has been incredibly supportive of Alex and our family.

Since coming to Iowa City, we've developed a whole new appreciation for the Hawkeyes. Alex has received wonderful care from the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, child life specialists, social workers, and many others at Stead Family Children's Hospital. They've gotten to know Alex and our family, and we're grateful for the care and kindness they've shown us.

We've even added a little black and gold to our wardrobes.

Alex's hospital room overlooks Kinnick Stadium, giving him a special view of the Hawkeye Wave, when thousands of fans turn toward the children's hospital to wave to the kids watching from their windows.

If you found us after seeing Alex's banner at an Iowa football game, thank you for waving. We wanted you to have a chance to get to know the boy waving back from the hospital window. We hope his story gives you a little glimpse into who Alex is and how much he means to us.

Team Alex

Since Alex's diagnosis, we've received an incredible amount of support from family, friends, our schools, coworkers, neighbors, and people we've never met. Our community has been outstanding, and we're continually amazed by how many people have come together for Alex and our family.

Meal trains have kept our family fed back home in Ames while Sean and I have been in Iowa City. People have brought meals, sent gift cards, made donations, helped with things at home, and found so many ways to make our lives a little easier. We've received countless cards, letters, and messages for Alex, including some wonderful things from his classmates, teachers, and friends.

Our Gilbert school community has been incredible. Alex's classmates, teachers, and friends have sent cards, letters, and messages, and the school has found so many ways to show him he's loved and missed. It's meant a great deal to Alex and our whole family to see how much support has come from the people who know him.

Our workplaces and the broader community have rallied around Alex, too. From personal video messages from Iowa State athletic teams and coaches to people wearing ribbon pins, sharing his story, and finding creative ways to show their support, it's been incredible to see how far Team Alex has reached.

We've also learned that Alex is on prayer chains all over the world. It's pretty amazing to think about how many people are praying for him and following his story.

We've been fortunate to receive support from Ronald McDonald House, Dance Marathon, and several foundations and organizations in the childhood cancer community. They've provided financial assistance, care packages, and other forms of support that have made a difference for our family. We had no idea how many organizations were out there helping families facing childhood cancer, and we're grateful for all they've done for us.

We created this website so people could learn a little more about Alex, listen to his music, and send him a message. More than anything, we want people to get to know the wonderful kid behind Team Alex.