A Stamford firm gave a sick little boy a day to remember when they made a 2ft cue for a meeting with snooker legend Steve Davis.
Father and son team Paul and Lewis Roberts, of Stamford Cuemakers, were given a special request by Shelly Wall.
Shelly, from Abbeytown, near Carlisle, asked the firm if they could make a miniature cue for her son Noah. The two-year-old was born with just two per cent of his brain intact, and also suffers from spina bifida.
Noah’s conditions can be traced back to a lack of folic acid taken prior to pregnancy. Shelly has been campaigning for greater education on folic acid and a number of celebrities have backed her cause.
The latest to support the campaign was snooker legend Steve Davis. Shelly and husband Rob arranged for Noah to meet him on Friday last week but needed a special prop for the big day.
And Paul and Lewis at Stamford Cuemakers were happy to oblige.
“I have a little girl who is two and I could really relate to Shelly’s cause,” said Lewis. “Knowing about folic acid is important and people should be made more aware.”
The firm specialises in custom-made cues and cases, and counts international stars Mark Selby and Ding Junhui among its customers. But cues usually come in a standard size of 58in.
Lewis said: “It was a nice challenge. And we added a bit of a personal touch by putting his name on.”
The cue was the perfect prop for the meeting on Friday and Noah spent about an hour with Steve, who even helped him pot a ball or two. The former world number one was happy to sign Noah’s cue and agreed to help promote his mother’s cause.
Shelly was full of praise for Stamford Cuemakers and thanked them for helping her family. She said: “Meeting Steve was great. Noah sat there on the table and Steve held his hand to steady his cue.
“Noah took a shot which was amazing to see.
“Steve didn’t know about Noah’s condition so when we told him he was really shocked. Looking at Noah you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with him.
“Steve has tweeted about it since which I thought was really nice.”
Despite his numerous health problems Noah is battling on with his life. And Shelly will keep raising awareness of the importance of folic acid.