A blind Ellesmere Port boy devastated by brain cancer needs a lifeline specialist buggy.

Max McKelvey from Ellesmere Port was just five months old when he was diagnosed with brain cancer which devastated his body, leaving him blind, with limited balance, and exhaustion so severe he struggles to walk – but the buggy he has been using is now too small to use, leaving the family in urgent need of a new specialist buggy.

Max, now aged 11, received chemotherapy after his diagnosis as a baby and is still on active treatment at Alder Hey’s children’s hospital. The Optic Pathway Astrocytoma also left him unable to speak and without a functioning endocrine system, so he takes hormones and hydrocortisone, which add to his exhaustion and cause weight gain.

Unable to leave the house without a suitable buggy, Max can’t go outside to join in activities with his family – even when mum Claire walks his beloved buddy dog, Roey, gifted by Guide Dogs for the Blind to support Max, give him confidence and ease anxiety. A new specialist buggy would make a huge difference to Max and his family, but this costs £3,555.

Now Newlife, the charity for disabled children, is appealing to the local community to help raise the necessary funds so Max can receive the specialist buggy he urgently needs. Newlife is the largest charity provider of specialist disability equipment for children across the UK.

Mum Claire said: “Max’s balance isn’t very good, and he can’t walk very far at all before he’s exhausted, but his buggy is now at the end of its useful life.

"He’s so much bigger now and often needs to sleep in the buggy, which is very uncomfortable for him. It’s difficult to get him in and out of it or even move him around, especially as I’m usually the one trying to manoeuvre him, so it’s vital that he has a buggy that can swivel and recline. We could then use to take him wherever he needs to go.

“He has severe delays across all areas of his development and because he is non-verbal, he gets very frustrated. Being outside and having a change of scenery really helps him and is something he loves to do - he makes the sign for his wheelchair constantly.

"Getting outside is good for me too and is essential for my own well-being as I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in November 2020, undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and high dose radiation, which was hard on us all.”

As a family, Claire, husband Neil, Max and seven-year-old daughter Ava, have been through a lot, and they just want to spend time together enjoying family activities, but without a specialist buggy for Max, one parent now has to stay home with him while the other takes out Ava, so she has the opportunities she needs to develop.

Claire added: “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.

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

To donate to help Max receive the buggy he needs, visit newlife.support/max

Alternatively, you can email fundraise@newlifecharity.co.uk or call 01543 462 777. Always get the bill payer’s permission. Any money raised above the amount needed for the buggy Max needs will be used to help fund equipment for another child.

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.”

It is estimated that it costs three times the amount of money to raise a child with disabilities than it does a non-disabled child, and with costs increasing, it leaves families with no choice but turn to charities such as Newlife for help.

In the past year, equipment grant applications to Newlife from families have risen by a massive 60 per cent, while total contacts to its Nurse Helpline from families and professionals seeking support has risen by 73 per cent.