KLANG: Eleven-year-old Murkeish Krishna Murthy had to pinch himself a few times to make sure he was not dreaming when on his way to Manchester, the United Kingdom, last month to watch a football match.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said the leukaemia-stricken boy, who watched the Manchester City versus Chelsea game on Aug 16 at the Etihad Stadium there.
The articulate Year Five pupil said his wildest dream came true when he was introduced to his favourite footballer, Sergio Leonel Agüero Del Castillo.
“I was also the Match Day Mascot and held Sergio’s hand as we walked into the stadium for the game,” said Murkeish at his home in Taman Selatan here recently.
The SRJK (C) Taman Rasna student excitedly narrated how everything appeared to be “magical” on the day of the match.
“I told Sergio to score a goal for me and he scored the first goal in the match,” he said. “People told me that it was my luck and presence there which made him score.”
Murkeish’s dream of watching a live game in the United Kingdom was realised by both Make A Wish Malaysia and Etihad Airways.
Make A Wish Malaysia chief executive officer Irene Tan said the organisation’s founding member Sandra Kirwan first met Murkeish and his mother K. Thilagavathy while he was undergoing treatment at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in August last year.
Kirwan saw Murkeish again at the same hospital in April this year after he suffered a mild stroke and learned about his wish.
Make A Wish Malaysia then contacted Etihad Airways and the rest was history.
Etihad Airways, which is Manchester City’s main sponsor, turned Murkeish’s wish into a family vacation and flew the boy, his brother Kisheindra Kumar, 14, his father R. Krishna Murthy, 49, and Thilagavathy, 46, business class to London.
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