A little boy suffering from leukaemia reached a milestone when he "rang the bell" to mark the end of cancer treatment.
Friends, family and supporters of Max Tobin gathered at his dad's gym in Southport to witness the momentous occasion.
His parents, Sharon and Mike, were devastated when Max was diagnosed with cancer just after his third birthday in August 2018.
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The first warning signs were a temperature and a bit of a limp, and what seemed like an innocent looking rash on the toddler's ankle.
Thinking Max's symptoms could be something more than a common infection that young children at nursery pick up, mum Sharon made him an appointment to see a GP who immediately referred him to Ormskirk Hospital.
Unfortunately, tests revealed Max might have leukaemia. He was transferred to Alder Hey children's hospital for extensive blood and bone marrow tests and the parents' worst fears were confirmed that he had blood cancer (leukaemia).
Over the past three years, Max has been subjected to intensive and often painful treatment, both for the disease and for some major side effects of the treatment itself, including two dangerous blood clots.
He lost the ability to walk two weeks into the treatment, and he also caught a life threatening infection which was eating away at his skin at a time when he had no immune system to fight it off.
During this ordeal, his parents set up the "Miles for Max" fundraising effort, which has so far raised almost £7,500.
And last weekend Max finally "rang the bell" at his dad's gym, CTC Strength and Fitness, in Southport to mark the end of his daily chemotherapy sessions, along with the removal of a central line inserted in his chest, which was christened "Wilbur."
An emotional Sharon told the crowd: "It's been a really long three years. We've struggled through it but it's been really tough.
"No one tells you when your child's diagnosed with something what the path's going to be. No one says you're going to have to face things that you've never dreamed of facing before.
"Max has been incredible throughout the whole thing. He's smiled every day, and he makes everyone smile."
The fundraising page set up by Max's family can be found here.
