BACKSTORY

The Maxy Awards were designed to not only support writing and reading, but also to help those who may not have been fortunate enough to hold an iconic book in their hand and read it from cover to cover a hundred times – for those who may have missed out on the likes of Hemingway, Dickens, Twain, Faulkner, and more… 

Max was born in San Antonio, Texas on May 2nd, 2008. Before Max had a chance to thrive, talk, laugh or play with her friends, she was taken away by a severe developmental disability, a congenital brain disorder. Her life was swiftly removed by a virus during the third trimester of development. Although she was still alive and brought love to her family, she could not talk, eat or see and required 24-hour care due to continuous seizures. 

Max was given a diagnosis of Lissencephaly, her parents did not alter their love for her, she was beautiful and deserved dignity and respect as a human being. Lissencephaly, you’ve probably never heard of this… neither had her parents. It is a biologically-destructive process driven by a virus called CMV, it destroys the brain during the third trimester of fetal development. Her face was so beautiful, she had a small head and long black hair, and she smiled briefly. As a result, she was blind, deaf, and dependent on a J-tube for feeding. Max never had a chance to read a book, eat candy, play in the water, or make friends, her family took care of her in the home and eventually at Home of The Innocents in Louisville, Kentucky.

Max taught her family to value every moment; life is like the blink of the eye. She also taught them many valuable lessons before she passed away in 2014, shortly after her 6th birthday. Max can live through others by helping families obtain valuable treatments that help children learn, develop language, social skills and independence. Children can thrive, learn to eat, talk, play and make friends. 

Donations can be made to Maxy’s House to help individuals with developmental disabilities gain access services like respite care, positive behavior therapy, verbal behavior skill development and functional communication training.