Miracle man Max was born at 30 weeks gestation a month after the discovery that I had vasa previa, a potentially life threatening pregnancy complication. At some point after his birth, Max suffered a brain insult leaving him with severe brain damage.

Max is a delightful baby who is already doing so much better than anyone could possibly have imagined. He is the embodiment of strength and determination and as his parents, we couldn’t be any more proud of him.

As a result of his brain injury, Max requires intensive daily therapy and our undivided attention.
In order to be able to support Max in this way, we as parents are unable to return to work full time and this has already placed a huge financial strain on us. Every penny we have is invested in therapies, equipment and opportunities for him.

Max has a great team of NHS professionals working hard to help him but in order to reach his potential, he requires additional treatments currently unavailable through the NHS.

In April Max began weekly appointments with an amazing private paediatric physio, who's specialist approach is making a real difference to his development.

We also enrolled on the Snowdrop program, based in Exeter. Here Max is assessed every 5 months and given a bespoke developmental program to be followed several times a day.

Towards the end of 2018 we are planning on taking Max for a treatment called Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). In paediatric neurological conditions, HBOT has been shown to have excellent results in helping the brain to heal.
The main benefit of this therapy will be to Max’s sight. Max has been diagnosed with Cortical Visual Impairment. This means that while his eyes are healthy, the visual pathways to the brain are damaged and unable to correctly process information. HBOT therapy could potentially aid in healing these pathways.

These treatments are costly and will be an ongoing part of Max’s rehabilitation for several years.

UPDATE - We have all been working extremely hard with Max's daily therapy routines but are desperate to complete more sessions of Hyperbaric Oxygen. The difference the last course of treatment made to Max's life cannot be underestimated (SEE UPDATE 1) and we feel it has had the greatest positive impact of all. You probably remember us sharing that his vision had improved beyond anything we could have hoped for. Last summer when Max's light sensitivity left us housebound, we could never have imagined that Max would now be happiest playing on the swings in the sunshine. (THANK YOU FOR THE DONATIONS THAT MADE THE FIRST ROUND OF TREATMENT POSSIBLE!)
Due to the logistical problems of HBOT treatment, living away from home for months at a time, we have decided to this time purchase an oxygen chamber designed for home use. This will allow us to continue this life changing therapy for several years, whilst staying local to our family and friends.

Since we started our journey so many people have come forward offering us help, family, friends and even friends of friends. The difficulty we have found in accepting that help, has been figuring out 'how' people can help. We have now come to the realisation that the best way for people to help, is to support us in gaining continued regular access to treatments and therapies.

The first few years of Max's life offer a unique opportunity to positively influence his development. Through early intervention, we can make a real difference but this will take every minute and penny we have.

If you would like to donate towards Max's home chamber, his therapies or simply help by sharing our story, we would be very grateful.

Thank you, Max's family