ABOUT

A family of five smiling and gathered around a table in a kitchen. The group includes an older man and woman, two young girls, and a teenage boy and girl. The background shows kitchen shelves with bottles and a microwave.

AMAX4 is an initiative by Dr. Ben and Tamara McKenzie dedicated to reducing and preventing unnecessary deaths related to anaphylaxis and asthma.

The initiative was launched in 2022, following the tragic death of Ben and Tamara's son, Max, who died at the age of 15, from hypoxic brain injury sustained during food anaphylaxis related bronchospasm/asthma.

A male doctor standing in a hospital room with medical equipment and monitors

About Dr Ben McKenzie

Ben is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne studying the topic of resuscitation in anaphylaxis and asthma. He is supported by and affiliated with the Australian National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE).​

Up until Max's death, Ben has spent his entire consultant career working in mixed adult and paediatric emergency departments — mostly in regional centres where there is no sub-specialised hospital down the road.

Ben's goal is for the AMAX4 algorithm to highlight the standard of critical care when treating hypoxic anaphylaxis and asthma in order to prevent unnecessary deaths occurring in hospitals in Australia and around the world.

Ben on LinkedIn

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About Max McKenzie

Max McKenzie was an otherwise healthy teenager, but died from hypoxic brain injury sustained during food anaphylaxis related bronchospasm/asthma. He was talented, happy and loved and his death was a tragedy causing unimaginable pain for his family and the broader community.

MAX'S STORY