Max Hall was just 14 when he died of a brain tumour in August this year. Yesterday, his mum Jackie travelled to Westminster to share her son’s story and demand change in his name.
Football-mad Max, from Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with a grade 4 diffuse glioma just days after his 14th birthday in November 2025. He underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy and, when his treatment options ran out, his family fundraised to take Max to Germany for experimental immunotherapy treatment.
Max passed away on 8th August, leaving Jackie, his dad Stephen and siblings George, 13, and Hope, 12.
Max before his diagnosis
Promising to “fight in Max’s name”, Jackie met with James Frith MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation, where she urged the Government to do more for children facing the deadliest of childhood cancers.
Supported by her MP Lee Barron and representatives from Brain Tumour Research, Jackie highlighted the importance of campaigning for more investment in research and wider access to clinical trials for children.
Mr Frith MP said his key priorities were dealing with inequalities faced by patients with rare diseases and expanding digital access to information, such as patients having access to the availability of clinical trial detail worldwide.
The need for pharmaceutical companies being incentivised to deliver clinical trials was also discussed with Mr Frith MP committing to meet with Jackie Hall again.
“I just feel an immense sense of pride. My little 14-year-old Max from Corby being listened to by a health minister in London. His story is being taken seriously and I hope that it’s going to help bring about change", said Jackie.
To honour Max’s legacy, Jackie has set up United for Max, a Fundraising Group which will raise money for the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at University of Nottingham. It is especially poignant as Max was treated at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham and some of his brain tumour sample remains in the laboratory there.
Ahead of the meeting, Jackie visited the Centre to learn more about the work happening to improve treatment options for brain tumour patients.
Professor Ruman Rahman, Director at the Nottingham Centre of Excellence (left) with Jackie, Hope, Stephen and George
Matthew Sowemimo, our Head of Campaigning and Policy, said: “We are very grateful to Jackie for her tireless support and this meeting will be an important step in helping to ensure brain tumours remain high on the political agenda.
"Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Max’s story highlights why we urgently need the Government to support an increase in the national investment in research into brain tumours to at least £45 million a year, in order to close the gap with funding levels seen for other cancer types such as leukaemia, where sustained investment over recent decades has made a huge impact on survival rates.”
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