Marshall went to the school, where staff had called an ambulance.
Maverick had another seizure in the ambulance, then more at the hospital.
Staff tried to get them under control and took him for a scan.
That night, he was airlifted to Starship Children’s Hospital, where he had emergency surgery.
”They told us he had a brain bleed, but we didn’t know until the day after that how major it was,” Marshall said.
After a few days in the intensive care unit, they were told the brain bleed still was not under control.
Tauranga boy Maverick Marshall, 9, is in Starship Hospital after suffering a seizure at school on March 5.
She said Maverick had an MRI scan on Wednesday.
“We’ve just been told that he’s got … an aneurysm in his brain.”
Marshall said it had all come as “a huge shock”.
“It’s been kind of overwhelming to, you know, deal with.”
Marshall said her son was usually a “fun-loving boy” who enjoyed swimming and tenpin bowling, and had lots of friends.
Since the seizures started, he had been sleeping a lot and was capable of “very little communication”.
“I saw him stand up and he gave me a hug.”
She did not know how long he would be in hospital for and said the future was “very uncertain”.
Marshall said she had been told a possible cause of the brain bleed had “something to do with his birth”.
She and husband, Dave Marshall, had been staying at Ronald McDonald House since Maverick was admitted to hospital. Their two teenaged children were staying with family.
Domino’s Bureta organised a fundaiser for Tauranga boy Maverick Marshall after he suffered several seizures on March 5 and remains in hospital.
Marshall said Maverick required a second operation yesterday morning for the aneurysm.
She understood it had gone well and said the family would await further updates.
A Givealittle page had raised more than $7000 to support the family as of yesterday morning.
On Wednesday, Domino’s Bureta held a fundraiser for Maverick’s family, which raised $500.
Marshall said the money would go towards the family’s travel expenses between Auckland and Tauranga.
She thanked everyone who had supported their Givealittle page and the Domino’s fundraiser.
“We really appreciate it. It’s just amazing, like we’re feeling overwhelmed by all the love and generosity and prayers that are going in for our family at the moment.”
Domino’s Bureta managing director Harkirat Singh said the fundraiser went “exceptionally well” with many people supporting the cause.
One dollar from every pizza sold between 11am and 9pm was donated to the family.
Singh said the money raised was “a testament to the local spirit here”.
On a normal Wednesday it might sell 150 pizzas, but March 18 was different, Singh said.
“People weren’t just buying dinner; they were showing up for a neighbour.”
Singh said his business was “built on the idea of giving back” and had done other fundraisers.
After hearing about Maverick and speaking with his family to see what they needed, organising the fundraiser “felt like the right thing to do”.
“We hope these funds provide some relief for Maverick’s family for ongoing travel expenses and living costs between home and hospital.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who stopped by to contribute.”
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.