Max’s Marvels are raring to go and have signed up for the Aberdeen Kiltwalk, which takes place on 2nd June 2024. We are a family team who are walking a mix of The Mighty Stride – 18 miles, and the Wee Wander – 4 miles. Hoping to raise as much as we can for Ronald McDonald House Glasgow who greatly supported my cousin Max and his family early last year. Please read Max’s story…

Towards the end of 2022 Max, who was 12 at the time, had numerous visits to the doctors, an optician appointment, stays at our local hospital suffering from sore heads and increasing anxiety. During one of our stays at Dr Gray’s in Elgin the doctor finally carried out a CT scan. They discovered Max had a Brain Tumour. Within half an hour of trying to comprehend this news Max and mum Sarah, were blue lighted by Ambulance to Glasgow Children’s Hospital. 

Max’s tumour had begun to bleed so the importance of getting an EVD Drain fitted the next day was crucial to relieve the pressure. Max’s Dad, Greg had travelled down to be with us the same night and for the first night we all slept on the ward. The next day Max underwent his first operation which was 3 hours long to have a drain fitted. After that the specialists carried out more bloods, MRI Scans and CT scans and we were told that Max had a 4cm Craniopharyngioma Brain Tumour which had been growing for a couple of years which needed to be urgently removed. 

That night Greg was no longer allowed to stay on the ward as it was one parent only. Being 4 hours away from home the nurses tried each day to get him a room in Ronald McDonald Accommodation which were within the hospital grounds, but they were full. Greg got a postcode of a hotel that the nurses kindly booked each night. Not knowing Glasgow, and the stress of the situation Greg set of every night at 10pm to find his accommodation. Greg did this for a week.   

Max was in a strong place on the day of his operation The surgeons and nurses had explained everything brilliantly and he was calm and knew it had to be done. As parents we were told of the dangers and that it would be an 8-hour operation. That day stood still. At 8.30pm on March the 14th 2023 we got to see our amazingly strong boy. That feeling will never leave us. The operation was an amazing success, and the teams had removed the whole tumour and were delighted. Max spent the following week in Intensive Care.

The day after Maxs operation Greg was told that he had got a room in The Ronald McDonald accommodation. We went over to book in, where Darlene welcomed us. She listened to our story, showed us our room which had a phone that linked directly to the children’s ward, showed us the kitchens, laundry, a quiet lounge, library, and garden. There were tables with toiletries, baby items, snacks and drinks, kitchen basics if you needed them, as most families literally land there unknowingly with little or no preparation. 

Being 5 minutes’ walk from the hospital allowed Greg and Alfie, Max’s older brother to stay nearby. It allowed us to wash our clothes, cook meals if we wanted to take them over to the hospital, and towards the end of our stay the Dr’s let Max stay there as a trial before heading home, so he could get used to normality and a new medication regime. For us as parents it allowed us to get used to administering the medication without supervision, knowing all the time that if there were any problems we could nip back to the hospital. We also could have family down visiting in a more relaxed environment from the hospital.   

We stayed in Glasgow for 6 weeks, and having Ronald McDonald House accommodation allowed us as a family to stay all together at a time when we needed it most. We hope you can support us by giving even the smallest of donations to help support this unbelievable charity.