Our Story

My name is Jackie, and I am Max’s mum.

On 27 November 2025, our lives changed forever when my beautiful 14-year-old son, Max, suffered a seizure and was rushed to hospital. We were soon given the devastating news that Max had an aggressive, high-grade brain tumour. Because of its location, it was inoperable, and we were told that there were very limited treatment options available to him.

Max fought incredibly hard. He endured radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other treatments, and we travelled to Germany in the hope of finding additional options. Throughout everything, Max remained Max — funny, kind, cheeky, determined and full of life. He loved football, especially Manchester United, loved Oasis, and had a personality that could light up a room.

Sadly, despite everything we tried, we lost our beautiful boy on 8 August 2026, aged just 14.

No parent should ever have to hear that there are limited treatment options for their child. No child should have to face a diagnosis where research and clinical trials have not yet provided enough answers.

That is why I have created United for Max.

United for Max is Max’s legacy. It has been created in his name to raise funds for brain tumour research and to help create a future where children and families facing a brain tumour diagnosis have more treatment options, more clinical trials, more hope and more time together.

Funds raised will be used to support reputable brain tumour research and initiatives that aim to improve understanding of these devastating tumours, develop new treatments and provide opportunities for patients to access research and clinical trials.

For us, this is deeply personal. We cannot change what happened to Max, but we can try to make sure that his life and his fight create something positive for other families.

Max deserved more options. He deserved more time.

United for Max is our promise that his story will not end with us.

We will carry his name, his spirit and his love for life forward, and we will keep fighting for the hope that another family may one day be given the outcome we so desperately wished for.

For Max. For other children. For more research. For more treatment. For more hope.

United for Max.