'We stepped into every parents' nightmare - but look at our little boy now!"
WHEN Karen and Adam Kimberley-Day were asked to go into a hospital consultant’s room to talk about their son Max, they didn’t want to go, fearing it would be bad news. “And it was – we stepped into every parent’s nightmare,” said Karen.
“It was such a horrible moment – being in there and being told he had cancer. Everything went black. I’d never seen Adam cry before, but he did that day.”
That was two years ago when Max, from Guildford, was diagnosed with B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Thankfully, today, after treatment, Max, now five, is back to his happy, lively, football-loving self. He is clear of cancer and looking forward to a Christmas his parents feared he might never see.
Max is also the recipient of a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People ‘Star’ Award which honours the bravery of youngsters going through cancer treatment.
The first signs of Max’s illness emerged in late 2023. He stopped wanting to play football, which he loved, and in the music class where he usually jumped around, he just wanted to lie on Karen’s lap.
He’d had a bout of illnesses and colds, as well as some night sweats. But each time, he seemed to recover.
However, Karen and Adam’s worries were heightened after they returned from a trip to celebrate their 40th birthdays.
Karen said: “When we got back, Max didn’t run to me, as he would normally do. And he was really pale. I thought he might have mumps so we took him to the hospital. They did lots of investigations and it went quiet for about 18 hours.
“I was in tears asking nurses what was going on and eventually we were asked to go into a room to talk to the consultant.
“I didn’t want to go into that room,” said Karen. “It felt like as soon as we went in there, it would all become real. I wanted to stay outside so it couldn’t be true.
“When the doctor told us, all I heard was the word ‘leukaemia’ and everything went black. The one thing I held on to though was that he said success rates for the treatment Max needed were really good.”
Max was transferred to the Royal Marsden Hospital in Surrey.
He also joined the Cancer Research UK ALLTogether-1 trial which examines if changing standard treatment in different ways for different groups, works better for children with ALL and if it reduces side effects.
Max is now on maintenance treatment to stop the cancer coming back. He has IV chemo once a month at hospital and oral chemo at home, along with five days of steroids.
The steroids can be tough as they make Max hungry and unpredictable.
“The third week of the steroid pulse is always tricky – they make him emotional and very tired at school,” said Karen.
However, the end is in sight – he finishes his treatment in January next year - and in the meantime, he continues to make progress. He’s back to playing football and enjoys trampolining.
Karen said: “Max has never questioned his treatment – he has such a calm and lovely manner. He doesn’t realise that not all children have to do this.
“He just knows he has naughty blood cells and we are making them better.”
During his treatment, Max’s sisters, Lilia, 12, and Rosie, nine have become very protective to their little brother.
“They have been wonderful – they just adore him. He is their little prince! We’re so proud of all of them,” said Karen.
They are all looking forward to hanging up their stockings at Christmas, but no star will shine brighter than Max.
Around 490 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer in the South East every year,*** but new discoveries and breakthroughs are leading to more effective and less toxic treatments.
Cancer Research UK is the biggest charitable funder of research into children’s and young people’s cancers in the UK.
Karen, 41, an illustrator, and Adam, 42, a retail manager, are keen to tell parents of other children who have just been diagnosed, to take it one step at a time.
“It’s hard to do, but you really do have to live in the moment - minute by minute, hour by hour. You can’t promise something a few hours later or the following day, because things can change so quickly. We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve had to take Max to the hospital with a temperature spike.”
However, they are encouraging people to nominate their children for a Star award.
“Max tells people he has his Star trophy, saying: ‘It’s because I go to hospital and I’ve been brave’,” said Karen.
The Star Awards are backed by a host of famous faces, including children’s poet and author Joseph Coelho, US singer, dancer and reality TV star JoJo Siwa, pop icon Pixie Lott, TV personality Dr Ranj and children’s TV favourite Mister Maker.
There is no judging panel because the charity believes every child diagnosed with cancer deserves special recognition. The awards are open to all under 18s who live in the UK and have been treated for the disease within the past five years.*
As well as a star-shaped trophy, Max also received a £50 TK Maxx gift card,** t-shirt and a certificate signed by the celebrities.
Thanks to vital research work, children’s cancer survival in the UK has more than doubled since the 1970s.****
But the Star Awards help shine a light on the unique challenges still faced by children like Max.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the South East, Lynn Daly, said: “We’re committed to driving forward progress to ensure more children and young people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. After everything Max has been through, it’s a privilege to celebrate his courage with a Star Award.
“A cancer diagnosis is heart-breaking at any age, but it can be particularly difficult for youngsters - especially when many may experience life-long side effects from their treatment. That’s why we’re funding dedicated research to find new and better ways to beat this devastating disease.
“The Star Awards are a wonderful way to give these extraordinary children the special recognition they truly deserve, so we hope people will nominate their own Stars now.”
Nominate a child or young person for a Star Award at cruk.org/starawards