His dream with Make-A-Wish Foundation was to fly like his favorite superhero, Iron Man.

Huffington Post reported Max turned into his alter ego Iron Max as he put on the costume and flew, or rather floated, in an indoor skydiving facility in Colorado.  He floated in 100 mph winds.

Vertin's brothers also have the condition.  The Muscular Dystrophy Association said until recently, the condition was fatal by the teenaged years in most cases.  Health advances now push survival into the 30s, while some patients have lived into their 40s and 50s.

According to the New York Daily News, doctors said Max will be in a wheelchair by the time he turns 9.  He is 8 years old and has been measured for his first wheelchair.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez