A TERMINALLY ill schoolgirl has had her Christmas wish come true after meeting their heroes from her favourite football team.

Jessica Greenwood, who has been diagnosed with with Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia (PCH) – a fatal condition caused by mutations in certain genes passed on from parents.

Despite her condition rapidly deteriorating recently, the starstruck 10-year-old still managed huge smiles when she came face-to face with the Kilmarnock FC first team at a recent charity dinner.

Mum Claire said: “It was a dream come true. We were at the Kilmarnock FC Disabled Supported Association’s annual Christmas lunch. While we were having lunch the players came round and chatted to the kids and parents. I haven’t seen Jess so happy in months. She always gives me fake smiles but these were definitely real. The happiness was beaming out of her. She was over the moon.”

Claire, 33, and husband Martin, 34 had their world destroyed in June this year when doctors told them that not only was Jessica dying of her condition, but their son Liam, 12, also had the devastating disease.

The illness has left Jessica unable to walk, talk, swallow or communicate and the James MacFarlane School pupil is receiving palliative care.

“It is hard to accept that both our children are dying. I don’t know how we are coping, we just have to.

“I’ve had dreams about them being able to walk one day and getting their own wee flat when they grow up and now those dreams have been totally crushed.

“Our whole family is completely shocked and distraught.”

Claire said doctors are unable to tell them how long they have left with their children,

She said: “The diagnosis basically means both Liam and Jessica have two parts of their brain which are affected and their condition will deteriorate over time but we won’t know how long we have left with them.