MAKING A STAND
LUCY Lintott faces losing her voice to the motor neurone disease that is slowly paralysing her.
But Scotland’s youngest MND sufferer is determined the cruel condition will never stop her speaking out.
And now the campaigning 22-yearold has won a former Beatle’s backing to make sure her voice and those of other MND sufferers will be heard.
Lucy has formed a choir with other people affected by the illness and they are to feature on a new charity album.
Sir Paul McCartney has given the record his backing and waived all royalties on the choir’s cover version of his 1984 track We All Stand Together, which will be released as a single.
Lucy is hoping it will reach the Christmas No1 slot while helping to raise money towards finding a cure for MND.
She said: “I’ve finally found enough confidence to try new things and recording with other MND sufferers was really empowering.
“Every single person involved knows how devastating this illness can be and this is a chance for all our voices to be heard.
“It’s been very exciting and knowing that Sir Paul McCartney has given us his backing really means so much. I never thought I’d end up recording one of his hits. It’s a dream come true. “One of the things that scares me most is losing my voice.This recording is something I’ll always have.”
Lucy, from Garmouth in Moray, was diagnosed with MND at 19 when her left hand began to shake uncontrollably. She can no longer walk unassisted and is slowly losing her ability to talk.
She has already created a recording of her voice and her laugh at the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND research in Edinburgh.
She hopes it will allow her to have a personalised synthetic voice for the future should she need it.
The MND choir were put together after Lucy shared her story in a BBC documentary called MND and 22-Year-Old Me.
Music producer James Hawkins saw it and was so moved that he approached MND Scotland to put together a choir.
His project, 12 Choirs With Purpose, includes the Missing People Choir, who reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent this year. The chart-topping NHS Choir, who landed the Christmas No1 in 2015, and the Parrs Wood High School Choir, who performed with Ariana Grande at the One Love Manchester