Singer vows to live his dream despite Huntington’s

potential to reduce the levels of the toxic protein in patients’ brain cells whichch is thought to trigger the disease.

Christian said: “Finding out they might be coming close to f indingng a treatment which can slow down wn some of the symptoms was another her crash moment for me as I had to re- evaluate my life yet again.

“I had made my peace with dying ng and then I was told that I could live ve into old age and perhaps even see e my grandchildren if the trials are e successful and a treatment becomes s available. I have hope. Maybe one day I will be HD free, who knows?

“I’m determined not to waste my present worrying about my future.

I’ve made peace with the fact I have the gene. It is a part of who I am butut it doesn’t define me. I would not wish it on anyone else but I wouldn’t swap places laces with anyone else either.

“I’m lucky to still have my life ahead of me as some of my friends have died much younger. I hope, through my music, I can make a ddifference and inspire others to seizseize the moment and go after their the dreams.”

Christian’s C promising musical career car started when he was three. At sschool, he was a member of the National Nat Youth Choir of Scotland and he has gigged relentlessly both as a ssolo artist and with his band Orchid Orchi Fox.

Huntington’s of being drunk when they slur their words or stumble about.”

There are about 1100 people living with the degenerative condition in Scotland, with more than 5000 people at risk of developing the disease, which is incurable and invariably fatal.

Symptoms usually start at 30 to 50 years of age but can begin much later. The toll of the disease is compounded further knowing that every child of an HD parent is at 50 per cent risk of going on to develop the disease too.

Christian, who is also a professional prop maker, says waiting to find out the results was worse than being told he had inherited his dad’s HD gene.

He said: “The whole process ended up being very traumatic and took eight months as doctors won’t do the test until they are sure you are emotionally ready. This is upsetting because, once you have made up your mind to find out, you want to know immediately.