Super Max

Letters from kind strangers brought joy to a little boy battling big health issues.

Following a near-fatal bout of bacterial meningitis when he was only 12 months old, Max McIntyre developed a brain trauma. Today, he is blind, lives with cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair and must be PEG-fed through a tube. But seven-year-old Max loves to listen, and to kick his legs when he’s happy. Recently, few things have made him more joyful than the missives and gifts he received via the Letterbox Project while his family was in COVID isolation.

“We were so elated. They came at a time when we really needed them,” explains his photographer mum, Amy, 35. “There were happy and sad tears. We couldn’t be more appreciative of the project and how a small, beautiful gesture made us feel connected in a scary and isolating time.”

Max is especially vulnerable to infection, so the McIntyres – journalist father Rob, 45, Amy, Max and sister Mimi, five – stayed at home for the first six months of the pandemic, then welcomed only essential visitors.

“We found it very isolating, but made every effort to stay connected to our loved ones and the outside world using every platform available,” says Amy, who registered Max to receive a letter, knowing exactly how much it would mean to him.

The first came from a young farming family near Narrabri in NSW, who wrote about their life on the land and included a “sensory board” featuring different fabrics and textures for Max to feel.

The second letter – from a South Australian family – included a recording of them reading children’s book The Gruffalo, plus a sweet story about superhero “SuperMax” written by the youngest daughter. “It was beautiful and it gave Max such a huge smile. He loved every word,” Amy says. “His legs were kicking furiously the whole time!”