Max

Max was a magical, imaginative, spirited little boy with a love for life and other people. He loved being in the company of others, be they family, friends, teachers, nurses, doctors, neighbors, and even people he had just met. He had an amazing ability to connect with people and make them feel special and loved, and as such, he was loved by so many in return.

At eight months old, Max was diagnosed with the rare eye cancer retinoblastoma. For the next year and a half, Max was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering. His treatment ultimately proved unsuccessful and the cancer escaped his eye, metastasizing to his bone marrow.

Fortunately, Max's parents found the amazing Dr. Leahey at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who cured Max's metastasized disease with high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, when Max was five years old, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a consequence of the chemotherapy used to cure his metastasized retinoblastoma. He received a transplant of his father's bone marrow, but devastatingly passed away four months after being diagnosed, two weeks before his sixth birthday.

Though Max fought cancer for most of his life, he will not be remembered as a cancer patient. Max was someone who found joy no matter the circumstances, who inspired those around him with his strength, sense of humor, and love, and who shone brightly even on the darkest days.

We are honored to have a Special Cookie named after our Max and to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s mission to develop new, improved, & less toxic treatments for pediatric cancer.