What Happened to Max Kuc? Boy, 6, Who Survived Cancer Dies After Falling Ill at Football

Six-year-old Max Kuc died after he suddenly fell ill while playing football for his beloved team North East Leeds FC, leaving his family and local football community devastated.

Max died on Dec. 15, 2025, but news of his death was made public Thursday. His mother, Lucy Kuc, has now shared an emotional tribute as the family works to create a lasting legacy for the boy she described as her “courageous” son.

How Did Max Die?

According to Lucy’s fundraising page, Max suddenly fell ill while playing for North East Leeds in December 2025. He died just 24 hours later, aged six.

The circumstances and cause of his sudden death have not been publicly detailed by the family with no indication from the available reports linking his earlier cancer battle and death.

Max had already endured significant health challenges throughout his childhood. He was diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of one and underwent a liver transplant, followed by chemotherapy.

Despite those battles, football remained a major part of his life. Lucy said Max lived his life with “joy and happiness” and described him as a boy whose energy and personality affected everyone around him.

“He was truly special,” she wrote in the fundraising appeal.

Max Kuc’s Love For Football

Max joined North East Leeds in 2023 with an immediate and growing attachment to the club, making new friends and enjoying his training sessions and matches.

His family is now raising money to help the club secure a permanent home and build a new 3G football pitch.

North East Leeds has more than 800 boys and girls involved, according to the fundraising campaign, but the club does not currently have a permanent home and faces uncertainty over its training and match facilities.

Lucy said creating a full-size pitch would be a fitting way to honor Max and give other children the opportunity to experience the same sense of community he found through football.

The campaign intends to support NEL Juniors, a registered charity, with the goal of creating a long-term home for grassroots football in the North Leeds community.

Family and The Football Club

The fundraising comes as the family’s effort to remember Max through the things he loved.

Lucy and members of Max’s wider circle have taken part in fundraising challenges, while his father, Chris Kuc, also ran the Leeds Half Marathon in May to support the legacy campaign. North East Leeds FC chairman Steve Waide said Max represented what made grassroots football special.

“Max Kuc represented everything that makes grassroots football so special,” Waide said, adding that the club was determined to create “the most fitting tribute to our forever number 11.”

The campaign has also received substantial backing from the local community.

A separate memorial fundraiser for Max has raised more than £31,000, while the football legacy campaign has also attracted thousands of pounds in donations.

The campaign aims to preserve the football club and keep it available to children in the community.

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