When you meet Maxi, the first thing you notice is his smile. It’s bright, unstoppable — the kind of smile that lights up a room. You’d never guess that behind it lies an extraordinary story of strength, survival, and a family’s unwavering love.
It all began on 26th October 2016, when Maxi’s parents, Julie and Greg, noticed something wasn’t quite right. “His foot had started turning outward when he walked,” Julie recalls. “He was struggling to put weight on his leg.” Concerned, they took him to the doctor. The diagnosis was simple — a temperature and a virus in his knee. They were told to go home and rest.
But over the next week, Maxi got worse. The pain intensified, and their once-active little boy stopped walking altogether, resorting to crawling again. Back they went to the doctor. “We were told that’s just how babies walk,” Julie says. “But we knew it wasn’t normal.”
They insisted on an X-ray, and that decision would change everything. Later that day, the phone rang. There was “shadowing” on Maxi’s right knee. They were told to go straight to A&E.
At the hospital, doctors performed more scans. “They said it could be childhood cancer, a cyst, or a low-grade tumour,” Julie says. “We clung to hope that it wasn’t cancer.” But the next day, after an MRI and a biopsy, their fears deepened.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Fourteen agonising days later, on 17th November 2016, the phone call came. The family were told to fly from Tasmania to Melbourne for more tests. “I begged to know what was happening,” Julie remembers. “That’s when they told me — Maxi had osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer in his right knee.”
Just three days later, the family were in Melbourne. On 25th November, Maxi had a PET scan and had a Hickman line inserted for chemotherapy. The results confirmed it: a high-grade, malignant osteosarcoma. The only blessing was that the tumour was isolated. “That gave him a 75% chance of survival,” Julie says. “If it had spread, that number would have dropped to 35%.”
For the next nine months, Melbourne became their new home. They moved into an apartment close to the hospital. Greg stopped working, and their eldest son, just five years old, missed much of school. Julie’s sister set up a GoFundMe to help, and family and friends rallied around them. “The support was overwhelming,” Julie says. “People we barely knew showed us so much kindness.”
Chemotherapy and Courage
Maxi’s treatment plan was gruelling: 11 weeks of chemotherapy, then surgery, followed by 18 more weeks of chemo. Nothing could have prepared them for how sick he became. “He had awful mouth sores from the methotrexate,” Julie says. “He lost his hair, eyebrows, eyelashes… He was bruised, pale, and so weak.”
Blood and platelet transfusions became routine. Maxi was often in hospital for days between chemo cycles, fighting infections and fatigue. “We took turns staying with him so neither of us would burn out,” she explains. “He went through so much, but he was still our happy little boy.”
After two rounds of chemotherapy, scans showed hope — the tumour had shrunk. But then came the hardest decision of all. Surgeons told them limb salvage surgery wasn’t possible because of Maxi’s age. The options: an above-knee amputation or a rotationplasty — a complex procedure that involves removing the knee, rotating the lower leg, and reattaching it so the foot functions as a knee joint.
“We were in shock,” Julie says. “How could we make that choice for our baby?” After careful thought and guidance from specialists, they decided on a rotationplasty — a surgery that would give Maxi the best chance at mobility.
The Operation That Saved His Life
On 23rd February 2017, surrounded by grandparents for support, Maxi went into surgery. It lasted nine hours. “Waiting was excruciating,” Julie says. “We just prayed it would go well.”
When it was over, she remembers pulling back the blanket to see his leg for the first time. “It was like falling in love with him all over again,” she says softly. “He was still our beautiful boy.”
The days that followed were hard. Maxi developed C. difficile, leaving him weak and in pain. Then bronchitis, which required round-the-clock monitoring. But little by little, he began to smile again. “On day two, Greg and my dad got him to grin,” Julie remembers. “That smile gave us all hope.”
After nearly two weeks, Maxi was discharged. Back at their apartment, he adapted quickly — crawling, moving, exploring. “He just figured it out in his own way,” Julie says proudly.
Steps Toward a New Beginning
By March 15th, Maxi was back on chemotherapy. He fell ill again, contracting a dangerous bacterial infection, but doctors acted fast. Against all odds, he recovered. Through the sickness and setbacks, Maxi’s resilience never wavered.
By May, he began physiotherapy — even while finishing chemo — and by June 22nd, the metal brace on his leg was removed. “He was so happy to have it off,” Julie says. “He could finally move freely again.”
On 1st August 2017, just four days before his second birthday, Maxi completed his last round of chemotherapy. The ward celebrated with balloons and cake, and the family threw a birthday party back at their apartment.
A week later, they finally returned home to Tasmania. “It felt like we could breathe again,” Julie says.
In September, Maxi was fitted with his first prosthetic leg. “Watching him take his first steps was incredible,” she says. “He looked like a baby lamb finding its feet — wobbly but determined.”
On 6th September, his MRI, PET, and CT scans came back clear. Maxi was cancer-free.
A Bright and Beautiful Future
Today, Maxi is a bright, curious little boy — full of energy, questions, and laughter. He still has up to 15 appointments a month for physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, speech and occupational therapy, hearing tests, and prosthetic adjustments. He has some lasting effects — high-frequency hearing loss and a picky appetite — but nothing dims his spirit.
“Maxi makes everyone smile,” Julie says proudly. “He’s funny, smart, and always asks if you’re happy too. He’s been through so much, but he still shines brighter than ever.”
Maxi’s story is one of hope, resilience, and love — a reminder that even in the hardest battles, joy can prevail.
“He lights up every room he walks into,” Julie says with a smile. “After everything he’s faced, he’s still our sunshine.”
