Youngster wants other kids to '˜live life to the Max'

Max Pearce, an 11-year-old from Gosport, suffers from High Grade Glioblastoma Multiforme – an aggressive form of brain cancer.

He has undergone seven operations, four of which have been on his brain.

Before Christmas last year, Max was confined to a wheelchair and family members say he was at a ‘real low point’.

But now Max is up and about, has gone back to school and is more determined than ever to push on with his life.

He said: ‘It was hard – I had around seven operations in total.

‘There are still a few things I can’t do; I can’t go out with friends on my own, but my mum comes along with me.

‘But I can still do things like playing football with them.

‘The biggest thing for me was getting back to school. I love going to school and really missed it when I was ill.

‘I go to Bay House and it’s great there. I remember after one of the operations I was confused because I didn’t know how to get to school from the hospital.’

Max and his family now want to help other young people suffering from a life-long illness.

The Living to the Max Trust has been set up to help families to enjoy quality time together, make dreams come true, and create special memories for families.

Already, the charity has raised thousands of pounds through events like the recent head shave at Bay House School.

Max said: ‘I shaved the heads of six teachers, including my form tutor, so that was good fun.

‘I want to do as many different things as I can now.’

Max’s aunt, Abby Thompson, says that the Living to the Max Trust is a great opportunity to support families with young people in a similar position.

She said: ‘We started by fundraising for Southampton Children’s Hospital to say thank you, and the fundraising just completely took off.

‘At the moment we have already raised thousands of pounds through different fundraisers, so we have a solid pot of money set aside. We want to set up some exciting new adventures for children and their families who find themselves in a similar situation.

‘Families can access the funding through referrals from Clic Sargent, which we think is a great way of doing things like this. We just want other young people in similar situations to have the opportunity to live their lives to the max.’