The 10-year-old Cromwell girl was in a Goldfields School choir performing on stage at the Central Otago Relay for Life candlelight service.
The choir faced the 800-strong crowd and Maxine had tears rolling down her cheeks soon after the service began and struggled to hold back sobs as her father, Al, spoke to the crowd about his battle with cancer. Mr Ingram (33) has survived a brain tumour twice.
He was first diagnosed in 2002 and was told he would live for ''maybe two to five years and I'd probably never have children, because of the side effects of the radiotherapy.''
A decade later, he had proven both parts of the prediction wrong - he and his wife Heidi had Maxine, followed by another daughter, Aria (now aged 8).
Then, in 2012, he discovered the brain tumour had returned to his frontal lobe ''and was pretty much as nasty as one could be''.
''The doctors operated again, and this time they took it all out ... well, all they could see,'' Mr Ingram said.
''I'm really good for now and I'm happy as long as I can stay this way.''
The possibility of seizures put paid to his job as a head chef and Mr Ingram now works at the Highlands Motor Sport Park as the kart track supervisor, biking to work every day as he is not allowed to drive.
His brushes with cancer and the death of a close friend three years ago from a brain tumour meant Mr Ingram was less inclined to ''sweat the small stuff'' nowadays.
''I don't have time for frivolous crap and I don't put off things.''
He entered a team in the relay called ''Al's Angels'' which included his wife, daughters and friends. The 20-strong group dressed in keeping with the theme, complete with halos and feathered angel wings.
''They are all angels to me and of course my wife, and the daughters I thought I'd never have are my No 1 angels. They've got me through some terrible times.''
The Relay for Life was a wonderful event, he said - ''a good healing experience for me''.
''It's humbling and it makes you proud to have such connections to these people here and to see what they do to benefit people with cancer.
''It's really emotional going out there for the survivor's lap, too and it was great that carers are being included in that now.''
Mr Ingram said he could not speak highly enough of the Cancer Society.
''I've seen first hand what they do and where the money from this relay goes and it really provides an amazing support service.''
Mr Ingram told the crowd he was living with cancer ''not dying with it. And if it doesn't like me as a room-mate, it can bloody well move out.''
Keeping positive was an important part of the healing process, he said.
