“The way a child with cancer can give it back to their sickness.”

Michael Carroll of Wheeling, West Virginia, gave three kinds of childhood cancer a face — three squeezable villains — Terry “The Terrible” Tumor, Lily Lymphoma, and “Lousy” Louie Leukemia — so a kid in treatment could take their fear, anger, and frustration out on something made for exactly that.

— Michael Carroll

Meet the Meanies Give one a squeeze Join Team Michael
Michael Carroll leaning on a table with the three original Meanie figures in front of him: Lily, Terry, and Louie
3
Meanies — one each for a tumor, lymphoma, and leukemia
50
States reached — Michael saw his Meanies in all of them
414
Facilities served — children’s hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses & cancer centers
100%
Polyurethane and latex free — built to be squeezed, not cuddled

A kid who’d been through it, fighting for kids still in it

Michael knew hospital rooms from the inside. The Meanies came straight out of that experience — and out of hearing another child cry.

  1. 2003 — Leukemia

    Michael was diagnosed with leukemia. After three years of treatments, life returned to normal.

  2. June 17, 2013 — A second fight

    He was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a grade IV brain tumor — a consequence of the radiation treatment he had received for leukemia.

  3. Home from the hospital — The idea

    Once home, Michael came up with the three Meanies, one for each kind of childhood cancer he wanted kids to be able to fight back against: a tumor, lymphoma, and leukemia.

  4. July 3, 2014 — Michael’s watch ends

    Michael passed away. The Meanies kept going — all the way to children’s facilities in every one of the 50 states.

“I wanted to give something to the kids that they could take their anger out on. I thought of making these into a stress ball like toy that the kids can squeeze hard, punch or even throw them.

My ultimate goal is for every child diagnosed with cancer to get one during their treatment.”

— Michael Carroll
Michael, wearing a red holiday shirt and hat, giving out the first Meanie to a young patient in a hospital room
The first Meanie, given out in a hospital room — exactly where Michael intended them to go.
Michael seated in front, holding a Meanie, with family and friends holding Meanies beside an aquarium on a hospital visit in Hawaii
Michael with family and friends, Meanies in hand, on a hospital visit in Hawaii in 2014.

In Michael’s own words

Michael wrote this for his high school English class — he was being home schooled at the time. Read it and it affects you in a way you never thought it would. This is why this project continues, with your help: Michael’s dream lives on.

The day was Monday, June 17, 2013. I can’t say it was like any other ordinary day. I had been feeling weakness in my right arm all week-end and having trouble holding onto objects. I thought I pulled a muscle from lifting large heavy rocks in the ocean the week before. Just to be sure we went to see the doctor. After reviewing all my symptoms she thought it would be a good idea if I would go to Pittsburgh. I had leukemia when I was six so she wanted me to see my oncologist. I remember thinking that doesn’t make any sense I have been in remission for the last seven years. I have check-ups every year and I am feeling fine. We went home packed a suitcase for overnight and dropped Dino off at grandma’s house. We were off to Pittsburgh.

As we arrived at the hospital through the emergency room entrance, the first thing you see is two large aquariums filled with all kinds of colorful fish. Even though I was a little nervous I remember being calmed by the water bubbling up in the tanks. We were quickly taken back through the bright hallway to a room. After hours of questions and poking and more hours of poking and questions I was sent upstairs to get a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). The room was ice cold but I was in a pool of sweat when it was all said and done. It would take two long hours of lying completely still on my back listening to the loudest banging noise that I have ever heard. I was never so glad to hear the words “we’re all done”.

Eventually we returned to the tiny room and waited for another hour before the doctor returned with the results. Finally he came into the room holding an x-ray and some papers on a clipboard. He placed the x-ray on a board on the wall with a light. I could tell it was my head but beyond that I couldn’t tell anything else about the picture. He looked down at the papers and read the results of the MRI to my mom, dad and me. He said “there is a mass in your brain and you will have to have surgery.” I was never so scared by something that was read to me in my entire life.

As a result of the findings of the MRI, the next couple of days involved a lot more questions and a lot more pokes. I was sure I wasn’t going to have any blood left if they kept taking it all. The doctor said it was definitely a tumor and they would do their best to get rid of it. Everyone did their best to be upbeat and cheerful but I could tell this was not going to be an easy thing to go through.

Thursday came and I was wheeled down the long hallway to the operating room. My grandma, aunt and cousin had come from Wheeling to be with my mom and dad while I was in surgery. I hated the look on their faces. I could see how scared they all were. I was too. I don’t remember much after that until I woke up in my room and spotted my mom standing beside me holding my hand. I was going to be OK.

Given the fact that I just had brain surgery two days ago, I was surprised to hear I could go home on Saturday. I remember lying in bed thinking about the entire ordeal that I had just been through. At that point, I couldn’t do much else but rest. I pictured in my mind that I was in a boxing ring with my tumor and I was hoisting a belt over my head that read “Champion of the World!” That was the moment I came up with the idea of making a character that would represent my tumor. I could use him to take out my frustration on when I was feeling down. Then it came to me that I should do the other two types of childhood cancer. I would make them into a stress ball type toy. The kids could use them to squeeze, throw, punch or even kick if they want. I got to work making the drawings on my iPad and then moved on to making clay models of them.

Finally, they are becoming a reality for me. I hope soon that I can give them to all the kids that have received the same scary news that I heard that day in June. I know it has changed my life and things will never be the same since I received the news. My hope is that just maybe they will read my story and it will help them get through a difficult time in life.

— Michael Carroll, November 16th, 2013

Meet the Meanies

Three villains for three kinds of childhood cancer. Two of them were Michael’s own fights — the tumor and the leukemia. Lily stands for every child facing lymphoma. Each Meanie is there to take the hits a child can’t aim at the real thing.

Terry the Terrible Tumor — a round red Meanie with big eyes, an angry brow, and hands on hips

Terry “The Terrible” Tumor

For children who have a tumor

The red one, hands on his hips, daring you. Terry is the stand-in for every tumor a kid wants gone.

Lily Lymphoma — a tall pale-gray Meanie with black arms and legs and bright red lips

Lily Lymphoma

For a child diagnosed with lymphoma

Tall, pale, and unimpressed. Lily carries the lymphoma fight so a child can push back against it.

Louie Leukemia — a pink and light-blue Meanie with an angry scowl

“Lousy” Louie Leukemia

For the child who has leukemia

Pink, blue, and scowling. Louie is Michael’s own first opponent — the leukemia he beat as a boy.

Not a cuddly toy. The Meanies are not soft stuffed animals or beanie babies. They are exactly what Michael intended them to be — stress toys made to be squeezed or thrown, 100% polyurethane and latex free.

Give it back

This is what a Meanie is for. Pick one, then squeeze it, punch it, or throw it — as hard and as often as you need.

Terry the Terrible Tumor
Terry “The Terrible” Tumor
For children who have a tumor

Who’s taking it today?

Now give it back

Given back so far: 0

Terry’s waiting. He can take it.

What we do

Our focus: children’s cancer hospitals and child & family care facilities — the people caring for children dealing with life’s most terrifying experience.

With Michael’s Meanies we are able to give that child a stress reliever that this child can take their frustrations and anger out on.

These characters were created by Michael Carroll. They are designed with the intention of providing an outlet for children with cancer to take their frustrations out on. When a healthy child gets sick they get better in a few days, but when a child gets cancer and they don’t know why they are sick for a long period of time they are given one of these stress relievers so they can visually see what’s making them sick.

Child Care Specialists will give the child these in the beginning of the worst thing that could happen to their family.

We have letters from families and hospitals giving us positive feedback on the success of this project. So please consider Michael’s Meanies for your monetary donation.

Every dollar donated goes toward purchasing more “Meanies” and giving us the opportunity to provide free shipping to the facilities around the world because of your generosity.

Thank you for taking time in reading this, and helping us fulfill Michael’s dream that every child diagnosed with cancer gets a “Meanie” during their treatments.

The Creation of a Meanie: for each character, Michael's iPad sketch beside his clay model and the finished Meanie
The Creation of a Meanie — Michael’s iPad sketch, his clay model, and the finished Meanie, for each of the three.

History

How the Meanies began, in the summer of 2013.

  1. July 3rd, 2013 — The Meanies are born

    Michael came up with the idea and created the Meanies on his iPad after watching a little girl getting her chemo treatment say “owwie” — Michael wanted to give her something to comfort her pain. Throughout July Michael created his prototypes of Terry, Lily and Louie, made them out of modeling clay, and the “Meanies” were born.

  2. August 7th, 2013 — The name

    The name “Michael’s Meanies” was created, along with the first website.

  3. August 8th, 2013 — On WTOV 9

    Michael was interviewed on WTOV 9 about the “3 Meanies.”

  4. August 17th, 2013 — Award for Courage

    Michael got a special award for Courage from Ron Green, presented at the end of the Debbie Green 5K race.

Michael's original iPad drawings of the three Meanies with his own handwriting: Terry the Tumor, Lily Lymphoma, and Lousy Louie Leukemia
Michael’s original drawings — Terry, Lily, and “Lousy” Louie, in his own hand.

Our impact

We touch the lives of those you care about the most.

60,000+
Meanies donated — every one supplied and shipped free to facilities
414
Facilities served
21
Countries reached
7
Continents — every single one

Michael’s Meanies, reaching kids on every continent.

Meanie plush toys perched on the marker at the Geographic South Pole in Antarctica, beneath a halo in the polar sun
The Meanies made it to the South Pole — perched on the Geographic South Pole marker in Antarctica, 9,301 feet up. All seven continents, including the bottom of the world.

Meanies around the world

Michael got to see his Meanies in all 50 states — at 414 facilities: children’s hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and cancer centers from Wheeling to Honolulu — and on to 21 countries on all 7 continents.

The three lists — Facilities by States, Facilities by Numbers, and Facilities Around the World — are all right here on this page, in the views above.

Join Team Michael

Michael’s Meanies is a 501(c)(3) organization, and the work goes on. Every Meanie still goes out free to the children’s hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and cancer centers that ask — that was Michael’s dream, and it hasn’t changed.