Max would have been 19 years old on April 18th, and  May 12th will mark the 5th year being without him.  I could never write or express what his loss has meant. I can only hope  by extending to others it shows in some small way that Max was here and he  was loved by me and so many others.
With sincere warmth and gratitude, thank you for sharing.

An update on Max… The FBI called in October 2008 and informed me they closed their investigation on Max. Never knowing what happened in the last moments of Max’s life will be forever hard. I can truly say our Government as well as the Aruban government did not do enough to find out what happened to my son. It is so sad when a child is lost, killed, missing, or taken. But when it happens in another country you have no help or paper work to fill out. Lose a piece of luggage though, and the paper work and calls never end.

Everybody knows of Natalee Holloway, few know of Max DeVries.  Max was lost almost one year before Natalee went missing. With all the money and resources Natalee's family had they still have no answers. It is doubtful anything new will turn up about Max or Natalee.

I will always wonder if Max’s dad would have been by my side through all of this if there would have been more done to help this little boy and maybe a different outcome;  his father died 18 months before Max. I will always feel cheated and abandoned by our government and those who had the power to do more. I am thankful for the friends who stayed by my side in my darkest days; the angels by my side.

It has been almost five years since the disappearance of Max. Time moves forward and waits for no one even if you’re lost in grief. The best thing you can do is appear that you’re moving forward and hope you doing something right when everything seems so wrong.

This is the time of year I normally do our annual fundraiser, Max To The Millions. Times are hard and seem to be especially hard in Michigan and therefore I am putting this year’s event on hold.

Max To The Millions has made a difference and has helped so many. The room created at Mott's Children Hospital is still there for all  Moms of premature babies to use. The Tourette's Syndrome support group is still active and growing in strength. We will never know how many people we truly helped with our gifts of love given to those in the community. We give with an open heart in hopes that only good things happen.

To those who helped and were part of Max To The Millions, we thank you. For those who sent thoughts and prayers our way, we thank you. For those who were there for us, we thank you and those who were not we understand.

We hope you make wonderful memories with those you love to treasure for a lifetime.

With Angles Watching Over Us And Friends By Our Side We Are All Blessed.

Yvonne and Dominique DeVries.

Max to the Millions was created in hopes that Max's sister will always remember her father and brother.  We want to give and to remember while someone else receives a gift of love.  The money raised had been gifted to premature babies thru C.S. Mott's Children's Hospital each year at Max's birthday, April 18th.

University of Michigan Health System (Oct 28, 2004)
The Oakland Press (Feb 9, 2008)
Livingston Daily (Feb 12, 2008)
Pay It Forward Movement (Mar 5, 2005)
WHMI 93.5 FM (Mar 3, 2008)
MyFox 2 Detroit (Mar 5, 2008)
Michigan Moms (Mar 12, 2008)