Boy granted wish to play snooker with John Higgins

Collum Coffey, left, with former snooker world champion John Higgins. Picture: PA

Collum Coffey, from Armagh, travelled to the Crucible in Sheffield where he watched a snooker match before meeting the former world champion.

Thanks to charity Make-A-Wish UK, the pair played snooker together and Collum and his mother Christina also enjoyed a VIP tour around the Crucible where they met other snooker players.

Christina said: “The wish went beyond all expectations and has made Collum even more determined to become a professional snooker player.”

Collum underwent a successful kidney transplant in 2012 but will be on anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life.

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Before the transplant, Collum’s growth had been affected by his condition. Post-transplant, Collum has now grown but this has put pressure on his legs and he is hoping to have a knee replacement and knee extension later this year.

Christina added: “Collum has recently found walking very difficult and he struggled to move around the snooker table, but he got lots of tips from John and is now feeling really positive. The memories of the wish will stay with Collum forever.”

In 2015, Make-A-Wish hopes to grant 1,000 wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions.

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