CHRIS WAKELIN has opened up on the “tough days” he went through after the traumatic birth of his child.
The joy of qualifying for the World Snooker Championship for the first time in three years is tempered by the difficulties he and partner Lucy have faced these past five months.
GettyChris Wakelin has opened up about the traumatic birth of his child[/caption]
Mia was born nine weeks premature just before Christmas and it was the couple’s great fortune that they had gone to the hospital for a check-up just as the 14-MINUTE delivery began unexpectedly in their CAR.
Wakelin, 33, explained: “Lucy had a natural birth at 31 weeks.
“We were busy that day. We had some family commitments to go to. But I could tell something was wrong.
“We had been in and out of hospital for weeks and weeks. On that particular day, I was like: ‘Right, we’re going to the hospital, something ain’t right.’
“We got to the hospital car park. I ran round and dragged Lucy out of the car as her waters went.
“Survival instincts just kicked in. Lucy didn’t want to go inside because she was in a bit of a state. I just dragged her through the hospital. Then the baby was born.
“The baby was born 14 minutes after we got to the car park – so we were very lucky that she didn’t end up being born in the car!”
Mia required constant monitoring and assistance in the early days and even though he had qualified for the Masters in January, snooker was the last thing on Wakelin’s mind.
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The world No.20 paid tribute to “every single one of the staff” at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Coventry for making them “feel as though Mia and us were going to get through it”.
The 2023 Shoot Out champion recalled: “There were some really tough days, back and forth to the hospital for six weeks.
“Spending on average 8-10 hours a day at the hospital, just looking at her, hoping she’d pull through.
“She was on a feeding tube, getting oxygen. We were very lucky that she didn’t need any extra operation, given how early she was.
“It was a real mental challenge and to be fair the first three tournaments I played in as a dad, I didn’t want to be there.
“One of the guys from the WPBSA said to me out in Germany: ‘Are you looking forward to playing?’
“I said: ‘No. I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.’ It has been a tough few months but I feel like I have weathered that storm now and am ready to go again.”
Wakelin has yet to win a match on his three previous visits to the Crucible – in 2018 and 2021-22 – but he will be one for the 16 seeds to avoid in Thursday’s first-round draw.
He said: “Our baby girl is going from strength to strength and my career seems to be going in the right direction as well.
“I’ve had ten years of not very good snooker and all my memories, my fondest memories, have been of that match that I lost. Or that ball that I missed.
“Whereas in the last couple of years I have managed to turn it around.
“I couldn’t care less who I draw. I know nowadays with my game that if I play really well, you’ll have to play incredible to beat me. I don’t fear anybody.”
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