CHILD of courage Mark Chapman is a hero to a line-up of snooker legends who are staggered by his bravery.

The big boys of the baize table paid tribute to the eight-year-old by helping him hit the road in style...in a state-of-the-art wheelchair.

But instead of cueing off - the World Snooker Organisation teed off in a special fundraising golf day.

Mark was taken into their hearts after they heard how he had a normal birth and a healthy early childhood suddenly changed when he reached the age age of five.

The family doctor dropped a bombshell that would change the lives of Mark and his parents forever.

Tests revealed that Mark had Duchenne's muscular dystrophy - a hereditary muscle-wasting disease that sadly would shorten his life.

Mum Anne says: "He could never jump or learn to ride a bike but we thought he would grow into it, that he was a late developer.

"Then when Mark was five the doctor told me he had muscular dystrophy.

"I remember not knowing what it was...I can't imagine that now," Anne says wistfully.

Mark, of Princes Way, could walk until a few months ago and then his legs became too weak to support him - an inevitable symptom of the muscle-wasting disease.

And he has recently been at a special hospital in Hebden Green where they are teaching him to walk again in leg splints.

"I'm not looking forward to it," says Mark before he went for the treatment.

"I'm a bit worried about what it will be like but I want to try and walk."

Mark's mobility took a huge leap recently when he was presented with a brand new state-of-the-art wheelchair.

The chair, which cost over £7,000, was paid for by various fundraising groups.

The World Snooker Organisation held a golf competition and raised £2,800 towards Mark's chair.

At the presentation Mark met famous snooker players including John Higgins, John Parrott, Ronnie 'The Rocket' O'Sullivan , John Virgo, Willie Thorne, and Ray Reardon.

The Joseph Patrick Memorial National Charity for Muscular Dystrophy donated several hundred pounds.

The Ridgeway pub across the road held a marathon pool and darts evening to raise money for Mark, and the local Lions club also donated, as well as local churches.

The family are moving soon to a specially adapted bungalow on Moss Lane because Mark needs facilities which their present house cannot accommodate.

However the family's money problems are far from over as they face the problem of transporting Mark's chair.

Stephen says: "We are hoping to get a new van through the motorbility scheme but even if we get it we will need about £7,000 of adaptations to take the new chair because it is so big and heavy."