On the 4th February our world was shattered when our beautiful, funny, caring boy died suddenly and unexpectedly. Although there are no words that can lessen our heartache there are not enough words to describe just how special he was.

He was an incredible boy, our little whirlwind of fun and affection who was the perfect middle to our trio. He made us laugh, think, cry and shared our bed more often than he should have! But his love was endless and he gave the best hugs.

Max always looked up to his big brother Toby and knew he would look out for him and reassure him. They loved being brothers and having sleepovers or getting up to mischief. To Phoebe, Max was her idol. She copied his every move and totally adored him. He was also making sure she was learning how to get into mischief too.

Max had many passions trains, motorbikes, Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly, dressing up and of course a big love of Frozen! His creativity showed through his love of arts and crafts as well as the joy singing and dancing brought him. We miss him terribly already and living on without him seems so unfair and incredibly hard. Phoebe and Toby have already shown how incredible they are continuing to make their brother and us proud. We know it won’t be easy but we know they will help us continue to make Max proud and help all our memories live on.

**(Updated 07.03.20)** We have been asked by many about why Max died. Over the last few weeks, after spending time with medical professionals, we currently know the following. A significant factor in Max’s cause of death was Volvulus, which is a twisted bowel. This condition usually presents itself in babies and can be a birth defect but the way it was for Max was not of this nature. In Max’s case it was potentially a result of an area of fluid/a cyst that could have caused the bowel to twist but this is something being investigated further. Volvulus, although not incredibly rare in general is very rare in someone of Max’s age. It can also be hard to diagnose and particularly would have been in Max’s case. The doctor we have spoken to has hypothesised that chemical disturbances and incorrect fluid distribution within his body (caused by the poorly bowel) could have led to abnormal heart rhythms that are not compatible with survival. This may have contributed to his death. Again, this is the doctor’s opinion and not factual. The results of the additional tests may take many months. So we do not expect to have further information for a while and even then it may not be conclusive.

We are currently in the process of making funeral arrangements which again is an unimaginably hard experience. We politely request family flowers only and have been asked about donations so have set up this page. We would however like to take the time to consider what would be best suited to remember Max. We will of course ensure the money is put to good use and would like to ensure we choose something that reflects what a loving and fun boy Max was. We will keep this page updated with what we decide to do but as people had asked ahead of the funeral about donations then we thought it easiest to put this page in place.

Thank you for reading and thank you for all the messages, love and support our family has received.