I'm Max Avery, I'm 16 and I've been a loyal and committed player at Spartans Basketball Academy since day one. I've been playing basketball for most of my life and for anyone who knows me knows that basketball is my life! I play in the Spartans U18s National League Team, play 22 hours of basketball a week, compete for my college team, have participated in European Tournaments over the last couple of summers and I want to study and play at a U.S. college in the future; it's my dream to go pro and I live for basketball!

Sadly though, I sustained a complete rupture of my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and a tear in the lateral horn of my Meniscus in a college basketball game a few weeks ago, and I need urgent surgery to reconstruct my ACL in order to ever play sport again, let alone play basketball.

I'm absolutely heartbroken and devastated.

This has not only ended this season and the next one and any chances of playing basketball during the tour of the U.S. that I'm due to go on in April, it potentially means that I might not ever play basketball again unless I have surgery through private healthcare costing £10,000.

I've been told that waiting for surgery on the NHS could take as long as 18 months, not taking into account a potential 9-12 months of recovery time after the surgery and the physio I'll need. If I wait for an NHS operation the delay will seriously reduce my chances of a full recovery, which I just can’t comprehend right now because I love my basketball so much.

The cost of the surgery is in excess of £10,000 through private healthcare, which is my only real option if I ever want to play basketball again, and this cost is simply out of reach for me and my family. I am therefore seeking financial help from my Spartans family and friends so I can get surgery ASAP to play basketball again, and hopefully study and play in the U.S.

I have been told that without this surgery I will not be able to play basketball again, so anything you can donate towards the cost of my surgery would be incredible and I would be forever grateful to you; more than you'll ever know.

Thank you so much for your support,

Max & Family