Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Max Woosey, aka Tent Boy

On Sunday I write about someone that deserves our praise and admiration.

The story from Epoch Bright:

Max Woosey was ten years old when 74-year-old Rick Abbott, a friend who enjoyed outdoor activities like kayaking and surfing with his father, passed away from cancer on Valentine’s Day 2020 after being cared for by North Devon Hospice. Abbot gave Max a gift before he passed away.

Rick Abbot gave Max a tent and said, “I want you to have an adventure.”Max said, “I promise you, I will. So I started raising money for North Devon Hospice. … We were in lockdown at the time, self-isolating, so I thought I would try and sleep outside in the tent he gave me, and try to raise money for the hospice that took such good care of him.”

When Max came up with this idea, it was still cold and icy in Devon, so Max’s first challenge was convincing his parents, Rachel and Mark, that camping was a good idea. Finally, after days of nagging, Max got a reluctant “Yes” on March 29, 2020. He headed into the garden with his tent, a Beano album, some soft toys for comfort, and the family labradoodle, Digby.

As days turned into weeks, the weather continued to be Max’s biggest challenge even though he sometimes pitched his tent in different places. He endured snow, wind, rain, slippery mud, and lightning storms.

Owing mainly to the weather, Max has been through 25 tents. He told Daily Mail they “don’t last very well,” with one even having to be erected in the middle of the night.

After exactly three years or 1,099 nights under the stars, Max thought he could call his mission complete on March 29, 2023. His final tally for the hospice was just under 800,000 pounds including Gift Aid, a U.K. initiative whereby the government donates a percentage of funds raised for charity.

Owing to Max’s massive donation, North Devon Hospice was one of the few hospices in the UK that did not have to make big cuts or redundancies during the pandemic. The money allowed them to provide 15 community nurses for an entire year, supporting around 500 terminally-ill patients in their own homes.

The teen still remembers his neighbor, Abbott, the man who set the ball rolling.

“He was absolutely lovely,” Max said. “He was the only 70-year-old I knew that had a climbing wall in his garage, and he was just an amazing person. I think the bond we had was we both liked the outdoors.”

Max Woosey is truly a boy for whom we can only have admiration for his determination and charitable instincts.

4/30/23

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