Despite a devastating medical diagnosis, a recent college graduate in Winchester, Virginia hasn’t allowed any of life’s misfortunes to get him down—and he’s spent the last four months waiting to spread Christmas cheer to all who see him.
Four years ago, Alex Argiro was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis, a rare condition that causes tumors to grow in crucial areas of your head, neck, and spine. He endured a 14-hour brain surgery to remove three tumors, which left him permanently deaf in his left ear.
A baseball player on the Shenandoah University team, Alex bounced back and played the following season, much to the surprise of his coach, Kevin Anderson. Although his dreams of playing professional baseball were cut short due to his condition, he continued to participate however he could, inspiring the team to win a championship in 2017 and 2018.
Though the tumors in his head were gone, taking their place was a new desire to inspire others and bring a smile to people around him whenever he could.
His plan to share Christmas cheer with people around Winchester this year was born in 2017 after his beloved Nissan 350Z was mangled in a car accident, two months before the holidays.
“The bumper was hanging off and dragging, so I went back and zip tied it back together,” the 22-year-old told GNN. “But I didn’t like how that looked, so that’s what led me to make a Christmas-themed bumper—and, this year, a Christmas hood.”
With a nod to the movie franchise, he called his concept car ‘Fast and Joyous’.
The car-enthusiast worked for weeks to piece together the broken vehicle, then called on friends to help him decorate it for the Christmas season. Using colored sharpies, stickers, and creative thinking, he now had a broken car that turned into a fast way to share his love of Christmas: “Once broken and unusable, it was resurrected and ready to hit the road and ready to start making others smile!”
After selling the original Fast and the Joyous car in January—noting that the new owner fully intends to duplicate his Joyous concept—Alex purchased a Christmas Red Mazdaspeed3.
This past summer, he bought a white hood for the car and has spent the last 4 months custom drawing on the hood, with the help of friends and family.
He receives compliments wherever he goes—and he’s noticed people taking group selfies around the hood. His ‘Christmas Red’ bundle of cheer has also inspired others to want to decorate their cars in the future.
It’s nice to know that someone who’s had a rough young life takes some time away from his phone and social media to focus on what matters most during the holiday season—bringing joy and smiles to others.
MULTIPLY Alex’s Cheer By Sharing This On Social Media…
Awesome story!! So inspiring to see someone overcome odds and share their passion and joy with others!!