MAX McKENZIE
“Max was an incredible kid — he had this extraordinary ability to connect with people and engage young people and adults alike. He could literally talk to anyone.”
Dr Ben McKenzie, Max’s Dad
Max McKenzie was a vibrant and healthy teenager whose life was tragically cut short in 2021 after an allergic reaction to apple crumble that, unbeknownst to him, contained walnuts.
Known for his boundless energy and constant chatter, Max was deeply loved by friends and family who remember his compassion, kindness, and infectious sense of fun. Diagnosed with a nut allergy as a toddler, Max grew up learning to manage his condition with care and responsibility. He was confident in advocating for himself, always asking about ingredients and taking his health seriously.
Despite his vigilance, Max suffered a severe asthmatic reaction after consuming the apple crumble. He died in Victoria, Australia, after a brain injury sustained in a metropolitan, fully equipped hospital.
Max entered health care with normal oxygen levels alert, and he was able to ask for help in an articulate way. Inadequate emergency health care resulted in Max sustaining an unsurvivable brain injury.
This site is dedicated to ensuring critical care clinicians, including paramedics, doctors and nurses, are equipped to maintain a specialist standard of care for emergency management of anaphylaxis and other causes of catastrophic hypoxic arrests.
Max is deeply missed by his parents, two sisters, extended family, and the wider community.
Live to the Max
In addition to AMAX4, Ben and Tamara McKenzie have also established Live to the Max, a Food Allergy Awareness Day to educate secondary students, teachers and staff on how to recognise food allergies and respond effectively.
Max — in pictures
