C/O 3 Sherlock Court
Southview Road
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 0JD
United Kingdom

NB: this is a forwarding address for the Pal, we do NOT disclose home addresses

Email Pal

Max P's Parents/Guardians

Michelle and Shaun

Max P's Siblings

Chloe 16/08/97 dance, drama, singing, music, reading. Jack 19/07/2000 football, cricket, puzzle books. Kacey 29/01/2004 anything pink and girly.

Max P's Interests

Max loves playing with 'boys toys' i.e. diggers, cars, trains, etc. He loves stickers and drawing, especially if it is Peppa Pig or any CBeebies character! His favourite at the moment is Mr Tumble! Max's favourite character at the moment is Diego, he loves all the adventures and animals. Max loves his brother and sisters and they love playing with him.

Max P's Favourite Colour

None

Is Max P able to read?

No

Is Max P able to use hands?

Yes

Is Max P visually/hearing impaired?

No

Does Max P suffer from any developmental delay?

No

Story written 2010

Max was born with chronic renal failure, which meant that both of his kidneys were not working and he has only ever had about 5% kidney function. Max was 8lb 6oz at birth but had a lot of fluid around his body and within 24 hours he weighed 7lb 4oz. Max has undergone several operations in the past 2 years, the first one at 3 days old to create an artificial opening through his tummy wall into his bladder so urine could drain constantly, and to insert a dialysis catheter, which was never needed so was removed when Max was 10 weeks old. More operations followed and Max has spent lots of time in hospital, or at home attached to one machine or another, but he has always been so brave and resilient. 

Max has had dialysis previously but had constant infections in his catheter line so was taken off dialysis in September 09, and by nothing short of a miracle, Max has not needed dialysis since. All Max's doctors are baffled as to how Max's little body is coping, and how he remains so well, as he really should be critically ill, but Max is a fighter and doesn’t let anything get him down or stop him. 

Max is waiting for a kidney transplant and is about to go on call for a donor, whilst his mom and dad are both being assessed as potential donors. Max has regular blood tests to monitor his condition and he has an injection once a week, and is fed via a gastrostomy. Max has a huge food phobia but with the help of several therapists is slowly learning about food and can now touch certain foods, although he doesn’t eat anything at all.

Although Max is 2 and a half, he is very small, in only 6-9, or 9-12 month size clothes!! Max is due to start pre-school in September, so we are currently trying to order uniform for him, in his tiny size!!

Update 19th January 2012

Max is having yet another trip to theatre, this time to remove the new kidney as the transplant has failed and it's making him very poorly.

Update 18th January 2012

Well, after a very long and exhausting roller coaster journey, tomorrow is going be d-day! Kidney stays and we struggle on? Or kidney comes out and we get my baby well, recovered, and home with a plan! Personally, after seeing him struggling to breathe today and needing oxygen, I think we should remove it and let him heal. Nobody wants a half hearted transplant that's causing more problems than previously had! So let's wait until tomorrow to get a plan and do it. I just want my baby safe and well, we've all had enough now!

Update 16th January 2012

Max was doing really well after his kidney transplant and was hoping be home at the weekend, but he wasn't transferred as 'bloods showed early signs of rejection’. It meant he had to go to theatre for biopsies as the scans showed the kidney wasn’t emptying properly and so a catheter was put back in. IV meds were needed, but after 6 needles that day he had no veins left, so they had to wait for a PICU doctor.

Max's bladder wasn’t working properly but the biopsies showed no sign of rejection. He is now in ICU. Surgeons removed a large blood clot from the artery to his kidney. The kidney has been saved but he has had to go back on dialysis to give it a rest.

Update 7th January 2012

Max went into theatre for his kidney transplant on the 4th January. He was put on a ventilator and sedated in PICU but was quickly off it and the first thing he said was ‘can I have some coke and stand up now?!’

Our thoughts are with Max’s family and also with his donors’ family.

Post can be sent to Max in hospital, he would love to receive some smiles!

Address: Beach Ward, Evelina Children's Hospital, St Thomas Hospital, Lambeth Palace road, Westminster, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom.

Update January 2012

Max got his call and had his transplant! He is getting stronger by the day and hoping to transfer to his local hospital soon.

Update 18th August 2011

Max is doing really well on dialysis at home, but it means we are sometime restricted by the routine. However, we manage and Max's siblings are amazingly understanding and supportive. No news on transplant yet, but hopefully it wont be to much longer, although sometimes it seems like an impossible dream!

Thank you so much for every piece of post, which the kids just love receiving, and really brighten up their day. Jack (Max's brother) had lots of birthday cards which is just lovely. We're all very touched by people’s generosity.

Update 13th April 2011

Thank you so so much for your lovely cards and gifts sent to Max during his long hospital stay whilst his dialysis was established and balanced out. The post really cheered him up and helped pass the time of day. Max is home for now, long may it last!

Update 13th March 2011

Max now needs dialysis daily (12 hours out of any 24 hour period) and will be going into hospital tomorrow for 3/4 weeks (maybe home for a couple of days in the middle somewhere!). He will be going to theatre on Tuesday afternoon to insert the dialysis catheter, and hopefully starting dialysis after about a week or so.

Update 1st March 2011

Max continues to do well against all the odds!! We have been told it is only a matter of time before Max requires dialysis again so we enjoy each day as it comes at the moment!

Max has recently gone from a cot to a big boy’s bed - a massive step for someone attached to machines over night - and very scary for mummy too!! He has done fantastically though and is such a big boy now!!

Thank you to everyone who continues to put smiles on the children’s faces with your lovely cards and gifts. Thank you for Max's lovely teddy which he now snuggles up with in bed, and thank you for Kacey's fabulous parcel. The packaging was brilliant, almost too nice to open! Kacey loved all the items in the parcel and has had great fun. Many thanks.

Update 2nd January 2011

Thank you so so much to everyone involved in the elf scheme. Max and his siblings had some amazing gifts and their little faces light up when receiving such amazing parcels. Just magical, thank you.

Thank you to EVERYONE for everything, from cards to gifts, they all mean so much and make Max and his siblings so happy.

Update 2nd October 2010

Max continues to do extremely well with very little medical intervention, which completely baffles all our doctors, who describe Max's condition as 'eye wateringly painful to read on paper'. Yet Max is doing well at present as though he has no illness, so he is allowed to plod on for now, although we have been told he could become very very poorly very very quickly as his blood results already show that he should be chronically ill, so we make the most of every day. Max has started Pre School now and he really does enjoy it (once I’ve left him and he has some dutiful tears, for my sake of course!). We are hoping to meet the transplant surgeon as soon as possible to get the ball rolling for Max's transplant, but it is quite hard to co-ordinate appointments when we live 160 miles away from the hospital!!

A Massive thank you to Beckie for Kacey's box of goodies for this month’s theme, she was so excited walking home from school that I thought she might actually burst, she LOVED it! Everyone loves the Dottie project, our litter mate Ellie goes everywhere with us, and we do get some strange looks when we are taking pictures of her! She even has her own facebook page! And THANK YOU to everyone who continues to send post and put a smile on the children’s faces!

Update 31st August 2010

Max is due to start main stream pre-school on the 8th September after the staff receive some training from the medical team. This is such a marvellous milestone which we didn’t know if would reach, so it is quite an emotional time right now.

Max has about 4% kidney function at the moment, but continues to fight and live life to the full with very little medical intervention. This really baffles the doctors and consultants, but in their words, something is working so don’t change it!! We are due (overdue really!) to meet the transplant surgeon and transplant consultants in London soon (hopefully this month) to get Max listed for a deceased donor and to continue the work up for a live donor.

We are hoping to get away for a few days towards the end of the month, not too far, just  a little break, which will be nice.

Thank you to everyone who has sent post to Max and his siblings, they really do enjoy receiving their post. Max and Kacey were really excited to receive a letter from Dotty, and cannot wait to meet their new puppy - they have lots of adventures planned. Max loves sticker books so has had lots of fun playing with them this month, especially as the weather has been rotten!! Thank you so much to Donna & Matt for the gorgeous hand made teddy for Max, he loves it.

Update 18th August 2010

Max and his siblings really love getting post; it is amazing to see such a huge smile from such a small gift/letter, so thank you so much to every 'friend'.