- It’s an impressive feat for anyone — but especially a 10-year-old boy.
The night of March 27, 2020, was a special day for Max Woosey. It marked the last night the then-10-year-old boy from Braunton, England, would sleep in the comfort of his bedroom.
The following day, he set up a tent in his home’s backyard. That’s where he would go on to sleep every night for the next three years.
Now, Max’s bizarre journey is over. On March 28, 2023, the boy-turned-teenager returned to his bedroom, pulled up the covers, and slept inside for the first time in years.
Woosey did it all for recognition, but not for himself. His aim was to raise money for North Devon Hospice (NDH) so the organization could provide better care for sick people.
And raise money he did. Over the three years, Woosey racked up more than 750,000 pounds sterling in donations — just short of $1 million.
That seems like a lot of cash, and it is. In fact, it earned Woosey the Guinness World Record for the most money raised by camping, ever.
“It was brilliant. My Uncle James always gets me the Guinness World Records book for Christmas. It’s every boy’s dream!” Woosey told Guinness.
By forsaking the comforts of an indoor bedroom for years, Woosey made a positive impact on a lot of people, allowing NDH to hire more than a dozen staff members to care for those whole life was coming to an end. What an upstanding young man.
Have an Adventure, Boy
Woosey didn’t decide to pitch his tent on a whim, though. It all began with the death of a family friend.
In early 2020, Woosey’s neighbor Rick Abbot was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The boy’s family provided their friend care and support as doctors evaluated possible treatments.
Unfortunately, there were none.
As Abbot’s condition got gradually worse, NDH was there to try and keep him as comfortable as possible. Their work made an impact on young Max, who still came over with his family to see Abbot.
“Before my neighbor died … he gave me a tent and told me to ‘have an adventure,’” Woosey said.
In February 2020, Rick Abbot passed away. But Woosey couldn’t get the care NDH had given the man out of his mind.
“The North Devon Hospice took such good care of him, I wanted to do something to say thank you to them,” he said.
As the pandemic lockdown started only a while later, Woosey was looking for things to do.
“When lockdown came, I asked my parents if I could camp out in Rick’s tent and my parents said no,” recalled Woosey.
But on March 28, 2020, they finally agreed to let their son sleep in the yard. He set up his tent, crawled in, and went to sleep — and would continue doing so for the next three years.
‘Best Three Years of My Life’
It’s not like Woosey abandoned his family’s home altogether. He would live the life of a normal boy, but his bedroom was now in the yard, rain or shine.
And boy, did it rain or shine. Woosey’s experience has been nothing short of challenging.
“The worst night was when the tent collapsed. It was chucking it down with high winds, it was 12 o’clock at night and we couldn’t find another tent to pitch up,” he said.
“It was tempting to go inside but I knew I would be so disappointed in myself that I just kept going and stayed out there.”
The young man stayed up for the night to not break his sleeping streak. He got a new tent the following day.
And then another. And another. All in all, Woosey thinks he went through 15 tents over the three years.
As time went on, Woosey caught the attention of the public, earning him the nickname “The Boy in the Tent.” He has been interviewed for television and newspapers, had tea with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and received the British Empire Medal in May 2022.
But nothing lasts forever. After three years in the yard, Woosey decided it was time to call it quits.
Yet, he doesn’t regret a moment he spent sleeping in his tent under the stars.
“I have had the best three years of my life. I have met some amazing people and had brilliant experiences. If I could meet my younger self, I would just tell him to believe in himself and enjoy every second,” said Woosey.
Helping Hundreds
Although Woosey doesn’t quite get how his stunt got so much attention, he’s glad it did. After all, it helped him reach his ultimate goal, raising money for NDH.
His original goal was to raise around $100 for the hospice. But as the donations kept pouring in, he quickly surpassed it.
“The boy who first pitched his tent in March 2020 has grown into a very impressive young man, who has helped to change the lives of so many,” said Stephen Roberts, chief executive of NDH.
With the enormous sum of money Woosey raised, the hospice was able to pay the salary of 15 community nurses for a year. Altogether, the nurses helped around 500 people face the end of their life in the comfort and peace of their own homes.
We can only imagine how proud Mr. Abbot would be if he knew what the tent he gave young Max ended up inspiring.
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