A 12-year-old boy who lived his dreams of watching Liverpool FC sat in The Kop "never let anything hold him back".
Shiv Thakrar lost his ongoing battle with Duchenne muscular dystrophy last month after he was diagnosed with the rare condition when he was three. The genetic condition sees the muscle tissue progressively deteriorate over time leading to respiratory complications the older you get.
Shiv's parents Manoj, 50, and Sejal, 47, told the ECHO they noticed as a toddler he had difficulties walking and would not be able to run like the other children. As he got older Shiv had to rely on a wheelchair when travelling long distances.
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Despite this, Shiv "always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude" to anything he put his mind to. Manoj and Sejal, from London, said: "He was a very positive boy. He didn't fully understand his condition but he never let it hold him back.
"His biggest passion was football and he had always been a big fan of Liverpool. He didn't really have a choice when he was growing up - it had to be Liverpool or Accrington Stanley. Our family has always been big Reds."
Shiv was part of Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) - a group who represent disabled supporters of the club by making the game more inclusive for the most disadvantaged groups in society. His parents said the association meant a great deal to Shiv - and allowed him to be around fans like him.
They added: "The club always felt like a family to him." Shiv and his dad Manoj would regularly make the trip up to Anfield to watch the Reds. Shiv lived his dreams of watching the match sat in The Kop cheering on his favourite player Mo Salah. They also got to celebrate several Liverpool trophy victories at Wembley.
A small piece commemorating Shiv and his life will be in today's match day programme for Liverpool's Premier League match v Nottingham Forest at Anfield. And Manoj and Sejal, who will be in The Kop for the match, have asked fans to applaud for a minute at 12 minutes to remember their little boy.
The couple told the ECHO: "When Shiv passed away we were contacted by the club who extended their condolences. We've always had their support. We're asking fans to join us in clapping for him at 12 minutes.
"The club is aware but it won't be official. We will be there and it'll be emotional for us to witness. Shiv won't be there but he'll hear the applause up in heaven."
Manoj and Sejal admitted the family's journey has been incredibly hard, but they did "whatever we could to make his life the best it was". Following Shiv's diagnosis, his parents set up Smile With Shiv - a support network to raise both awareness of Duchenne and as much money as they could for research into future treatments.
The pair said they are part of a network of Duchenne organisations, scientists and other families impacted by the condition, who are all part of the race against time to find a cure. They added: "The campaign allowed us to help raise awareness of the illness and raise funds, but most importantly it kept Shiv smiling.
"He was always smiling. We basically lived his bucket list - his aspirations were our aspirations. We stayed positive to keep his life as happy as it could be. Now we want to continue his legacy."
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