Four years ago, teenage squash player Andrew Herring was no.1 in Canada — but not in the kind of ranking system that anyone would choose to be part of.
Aged 17, Andrew was a healthy student and popular junior at the Granite Club in Ontario, when a case of glandular fever (known as ‘mono’ in Canada) took a sinister turn.
In an extremely rare outcome, the common Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever, had taken over the liver cells’ machinery to make more virus particles. Andrew’s immune system attacked the virus, and in so doing destroyed liver cells, causing his liver to fail completely.
He fell into a hepatic coma shortly after being admitted to Toronto General Hospital, and due to the severity of his condition and his pediatric status, he became Canada’s no.1 priority liver transplant recipient.
The liver of a deceased donor in British Columbia was transported across the country and he was operated on by the team at UHN’s Ajmeera Transplant Centre.
“It was wild,” Andrew tells Squash Player. “They believed I was very close to death. One day I was fine, in classes and living my life, the next day I felt sick, then got sicker and sicker and went into hospital.
“I turned completely yellow and had liver failure. I went from fine to in a coma and into surgery within six days. It was incredibly quick. The doctors estimated there was around a one in 15 million chance of this happening to a 17-year-old. It really made no sense.”
It was six months before he recovered any sense of normality. Being immunosuppressed whilst Canada was still in the grip of the pandemic hardly helped.
Gradually, he ticked off personal milestones in his recovery: seeing his friends; first outside, then inside when Covid regulations and his own condition allowed it, was important for him.
Being able to hit a squash ball, even solo, was also vital for his morale. “Being back in my squash community was absolutely huge for me,” he reflected.
Then Andrew and his family found out about the World Transplant Games, which features a squash competition. Amidst his recovery, he had a target to aim for: the next Games in Dresden, Germany, in August 2025. “We realised what an incredible thing it was and wanted to be part of it immediately,” he says.
At the Games, Andrew (despite being the only squash player on Team Canada) discovered a welcoming community of sport-mad people that had gone through similar traumatic experiences to his own.
“My expectations were pretty high, and they were exceeded!” he said. “There were so many moments when I didn’t think I’d be able to play squash again, let alone to the level I was at before. So being able to represent my country and meet all these people was incredible.
“What I loved about the Games so much was the connection and the community. When I arrived, I kind of felt like I already knew everyone. They’re like family and good friends.
“There’s such a connection through these unbelievable events we’ve all experienced. There were squash players of all ages, even an 84-year-old British guy. It was eye-opening, humbling and inspiring. There was so much compassion and empathy.
“We’ve all had these really terrible moments, bad experiences, been close to death and were given a second chance. But it’s not a gloomy environment, it’s all about positivity and happiness. I loved it so much.”
Tracking Andrew’s progress in Dresden was a camera crew making a documentary with seven members of the Canadian team to promote the impact of Canada’s transplant programme.
Andrew finished with a silver medal in the 18-29-year-old bracket after defeat in the final against Great Britain’s Martin Louie in three tight games.
“It was a tough loss, but Louie is such a great dude and we’re going to keep in touch,” said Andrew. “Before we even played, I felt such a connection with him through the transplant experience.
“I want to be better next time. That’s enough motivation for me to continue to play and train, so I can continue to be the best version of myself after such an unbelievable event. I will be going to the World Transplant Games until I’m 80 and hopefully playing Louis back and forth each time!”
Andrew is now in his fourth year at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and plays on the squash team under its Irish head coach Arthur Gaskin.
“The team at Brown is my second family and the coach is a father figure to me,” states Andrew.
“I am so thankful for squash. It has given me the best things in my life. I’m so grateful I’m able to play it as much as I do. It’s the best sport on the planet.”
