HE IS just five years old, but already little Max Edney has endured more in his life than most.

Max has broken 14 bones since the age of one because of a rare condition which affects just one in 15,000 people.

Now, his family is trying to raise awareness of his condition and funds for the charity which has supported them through their darkest days.

Max was nearing his first birthday when he was taken to A&E at Basingstoke hospital, after breaking a bone in his leg during a tumble whilst trying to stand holding onto the sofa.

Both doctors and Max’s parents, Steven and Leanne, put the injury down to an unfortunate accident.

But when Max returned to hospital just weeks later with another break, questions were raised about the underlying cause.

Mr Edney, 49, said: “They were looking to understand why our little boy had broken both legs in a matter of weeks.

We were desperate to find out why too. Max was at an age where he wanted to be on his feet and cruising holding onto the sofa. He took a tumble as all children do, but he suffered a spiral fracture of the leg.”

The family faced an agonising wait over the next three days as tests were carried out to find out what was wrong with Max.

Thankfully, the consultant paediatrician suggested it might be Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) after noticing the whites of Max’s eyes were slightly tinged blue, a symptom which is a hallmark of the condition, also known as brittle bones.

Further tests confirmed the diagnosis, which is caused by a genetic mutation that affects the body’s production of collagen.

But not all families of those with OI are as lucky. If this doctor had not considered OI, Max might be in a very different predicament today.

“The fact is, OI is a rare condition, so sadly, it is more likely to be abuse than OI,” said Mr Edney, a co-owner of a learning and development consultancy business. Some children who have not yet been diagnosed with OI are taken into care because of suspicion of abuse. If a child is adopted they will never be allowed to return to their biological parents.

The Edneys, from Basingstoke, who also have a nine-month-old son, hope that by raising awareness they will encourage health professionals to consider OI to minimise the chances of children being removed from the family unit unnecessarily.

“We want to raise awareness so medical staff, police and other professional agencies think ‘could it be OI?’ before taking children away from their parents,” said Mr Edney.

He added: “We are calling for health professionals and other agencies to consider OI when they are presented with children with reoccurring fractures.”

Mr Edney has embarked with friends on a year of fundraising which will culminate in June next year with the National Three Peaks Challenge, to raise awareness of OI, in the year that he celebrates his 50th birthday, and the Brittle Bone Society marks its 50th year.

Children with OI will set the team of 20 walkers off at each of the three peaks, with Max attending the final climb at Snowdon. The fiveyear-old also helped his father make a video to let people know about the challenge, which has been viewed thousands of times on social media.

The Edneys have a number of other fundraising initiatives lined up - with the hope of raising £20,000 - including a charity event at the Bolton Arms in Old Basing and a 24- hour continuous relay run.

The family took part in a sevenhour cycle at Tesco in Chineham on September 30, joined by family and friends, where the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Councillor Paul Frankum, showed his support by taking part in the ride.

Mrs Edney, 43, said: “We as a family have had so much support from The Brittle Bone Society, that we wanted to raise awareness of this rare condition.”

Max has broken 14 bones in total and now uses a wheelchair because of fatigue. He is having treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital to strengthen his bones.

The condition causes bones to break with little or no trauma, and can also cause loose joints, early hearing loss, brittle teeth and respiratory problems.

To donate towards the Brittle Bone Society you can sponsor Mr Edney and his team as they take on the National 3 Peaks Challenge in June at justgiving.com/fundraising/steven-edney.

For more information visit brittlebone.org