We've turned this post over to our London Taproom Manager, Christopher, who has a close personal connection to our latest collaboration beer, Max Matters, so read on…
It was back in 2022 when Martin Hywood came by the London taproom to have a drink, and before long got chatting to me at the bar. Martin mentioned what he does for the charity, and why it’s important to him (especially being someone that also suffers from Muscular Dystrophy himself), and I was very swiftly taken back to my childhood, growing up and hanging out with my pal Max Bode.
I told Martin all about Max and all the cool things he’d done throughout his life, the unfortunate football team he supported (Manchester United), the things he had designed as a creative graduate, and his struggles with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Max had been in a wheelchair for as long as I’d know him, having been diagnosed from a young age with Duchenne. For the most part though, he never let it matter. We’d go and play wheelchair basketball together, before heading back home where he’d smash me at FIFA (he would probably tell you we were evenly matched, he was a good soul like that).
Nothing stopped him, if he wanted to do it, he’d do it. He travelled abroad with his Dad to watch footy matches, he went to Uni and graduated, he joined a powerchair football team and bossed it, all despite the Duchenne. He lived life to the Max, always.
On November 1st 2019, my invincible bud passed away aged 25. The median life expectancy of someone suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy if they were born after 1990 was 24. With some of the advancements being made, people suffering with DMD are now surviving into 30’s and beyond.
Me and Martin kept in touch; after a lot of chatting and planning, we thought a good way to honour Max would be to release a beer in his memory, with his artwork on the can.
MDUK do some really vital work for those suffering from forms of Muscular Dystrophy, and I’m really proud that something that Max created will be front and centre for all to see, raising money to go towards the charity and help others like him.
This one’s for you bud.
Christopher, Enid St. Taproom Manager
Join us at our Manchester Brewery Taproom from 3pm on October 29th to celebrate Max's life and the work of Muscular Dystrophy UK, with a guest appearance from MDUK's ambassador Jon Richardson. The beer launches online on Saturday 1st November.
