Cheshire schoolboy desperate to join family on days out after outgrowing specialist buggy

Max's family fear their disabled son's world will shrink even further without the specialist buggy he relies on to get out and about, Tasha Kacheri went to meet them

A schoolboy who lost his sight to brain cancer when he was a baby is facing a future of being housebound after he outgrowing the specialist buggy he relies on to get around.

Max McKelvey was just five-months-old when he was diagnosed with brain cancer which left him blind, with limited balance, and exhaustion so severe he struggles to walk.

He was given chemotherapy as a child and still undergoes regular treatment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital

But now the 11-year-old, from Ellesmere Port, in Cheshire, has been left almost unable to go outside with his family, enjoying activities like walking his beloved dog Roey, after outgrowing his only means of transport.

Mum Claire, and dad Neil are often forced to keep Max at home, dividing at weekends to ensure his sister Ava can still enjoy activities.

Claire said: "Not having a suitable wheelchair for Max means his life is now very narrow and all the things that he can do, and that he loves, like swimming and music therapy have to stop."

"The buggy is an essential item for us, without it we can't leave the house," she added.

"Even to do something like go to the supermarket to go and get some milk and bread, you literally can't go anywhere without the chair, it's an essential piece of kit for somebody like Max.

"Without it we would be restricted as to where we could take Max and that in turn could affect his quality of life, just being at home all the time, that's no life for a child."

The family say they desperately want to do things together again, but without a specialist buggy for Max they are unable to.

They have now turned to Newlife, a charity for disabled children, to help raise the £3,500 needed to ensure Max can go outside and walk him dog once more.

"Max loves music – particularly Ed Sheeran right now – and he has an amazing recall of rhythm for someone with his complexities, but if he can’t go outside then everything comes to a standstill," Claire said.

"Having the specialist buggy he needs would be a lifeline for us, and the thought of being without is very distressing."

She added: "In terms of this new chair it's got several features on it which would be beneficial for Max.

"It reclines to allow him to sleep, it doesn't have a footplate like his current one, allowing him to get in and out of the chair with ease and with some assistance.

"It also has swivel wheels on the front - those things may seem little - but when you're pushing a child who is over 60kgs, it's really important to factor those things in because it's very very difficult to move them around."

Claire said she was "absolutely devastated" when Max received his diagnosis.

"The bottom of my world fell out," she said. "My plans were to go off on maternity, have 12 months off and return back to work and all of a sudden I was faced with a 25-week-old baby who was really poorly and going to need a lot of medical attention.

"It was absolutely devastating for me, my husband and all of my treatment."

Max then underwent three years of traditional chemotherapy following multiple surgeries, and interventions.

The cancer devastated his body, leaving him blind, with limited balance and a host of other health issues.

"The tumour location is very central so it affects different parts of the brain, so a lot of his functions in his body don't work and he has a lot of medications for that," Claire said. "He's non-verbal, it's taken his vision as well.

"Day-to-day he needs a lot of medication just to get by, and he needs a lot of assistance.

"It's always one-to-one and it's affected his walking, he's got balance and mobility issues as well, he has additional needs so attends a specialist school.

"It's had a huge impact on his body and his health."

New life is the largest charity provider of specialist disability equipment for children across the UK.

It is now asking people to give what they can so that Max can get his specialist buggy and continue to thrive.

Kam Dulai, Newlife’s Child and Family Support Manager said: “We really want to help Max.

"It’s clear having the buggy he needs would be life-changing for him and the whole family, so we are urging the local community help us raise the funds necessary to provide Max with the buggy so he’s safe and protected.”