The way Lucy Lintott’s life has changed since she revealed her battle with an incurable illness on national TV was summed up in one “surreal” moment during a recent trip to Glasgow.
The Moray woman, who is the youngest person to be diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in Scotland, was passing through the city with carers when the group’s attention was unexpectedly snared by a passing taxi driver.
The Glaswegian cabbie had evidently been so moved by the recently screened documentary, entitled MND and 22-Year-Old Me, that he couldn’t help but offer Lucy some words of encouragement.
Leaning from the window of his taxi, he roared: “I watched your programme, God bless you, hen!”
Lucy says she has become accustomed to receiving more glances of recognition around her home in Garmouth, and in nearby Elgin, since the TV show was broadcast at the start of August.
But she had not expected her fight with illness to strike such a chord with people in the central belt.
“We were all thinking ‘did that just happen?’ afterwards,” chuckled Lucy.
The moment was made all the more unusual by the fact that Lucy was on her way to take part in the recording of a Christmas album – with a choir formed in her honour.
Music producer James Hawkins is making a festive compilation featuring songs from different “choirs with purpose”.
James is the director of the Missing Person’s Choir – a singing group comprised of individuals with missing loved ones, who reached the finals of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent this year.
Saying he was struck by the “positivity and determination” Lucy showed during her recent TV exposure, he contacted her asking her to form a group and take part.
Lucy forwarded the request on to the MND Scotland charity, which managed to round up about 50 people to make up the “Lucy Lintott/MND Scotland Choir” and join her for the recording session.
She has laughed off any suggestion that her sudden celebrity may have changed her, insisting that she is “the same as ever”.
“I just feel privileged that I have been able to share my story with so many people, and they have been inspired by it,” said Lucy.
“It has opened some doors, though, and singing with the choir was incredible.
“James Hawkins saw the programme and everything blossomed from there.”
Arriving at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Glasgow last Saturday, Lucy was met by the scores of people who made up “her” choir.
The group, all wearing matching MND Scotland T-shirts and all affected by the illness in some way, gave voice to a tune selected by Lucy for the occasion.
Her passion for music is well documented, and in recent years she has met some of her idols from the country scene.
But she selected a little-known track called Clouds, written by American teenager Zach Sobiech about his terminal cancer diagnosis in 2012, for the choir to sing.
Lucy explained the song’s resonance to her, saying: “After I got diagnosed I was searching on the internet, just for answers really.
“I was trying to find stories of other people diagnosed with terminal illness, to make me feel less alone, when I came across this song.
“I can relate to the singer so much and it is one of my all-time favourites.
“Clouds makes me feel safe, it reminds me that I’m not in this fight alone and wonderful things can come from your darkest days.
“After the session, a lot of people thanked me for introducing them to such a great song.”
The choir spent hours rehearsing different versions of the track, which contains touching lyrics about the singer’s own mortality.
Despite admitting to being “tone deaf”, Lucy said she was prepared to have a go at the “once in a lifetime experience”.
“It all came together really quickly, I chose the song and then before I knew it I was given the date for the recording session,” she said.
“I had about a week to practise and learn the material, but James was a great help and made sure we had a quick warm up and music lesson before we got started.
“We were split up into different vocal groups, and I was in both the soprano and alto sections.
“People have always commented on my high-pitched laugh, but it meant that I could sing high quite easily so it came in handy there.
“Everyone else sounded good, so they drowned me out for the most part but I think there might have still been a few moments when I was off-key.
“I am just so honoured and excited to have taken part in something like this and I think I’ll be listening to the song on a loop over Christmas.”
The MND group is one of 12 “choirs with purpose” taking part in the charity release, called Stand Together, which will go on sale on Friday, December 15.
Altogether, 1,600 people will feature on the album.
The NHS Choir, which beat Justin Beiber to the coveted Christmas number one slot in 2015 with A Bridge Over You, have recorded a song for it.
And the Parrs Wood High School Choir, which touched hearts this summer when its young members joined American pop star Ariana Grande on stage at the One Love Manchester benefit concert, are also featured.
Sir Paul McCartney has given the album his backing, and has waived all royalties on the re-release of We All Stand Together as the main single from the album.
Producer James Hawkins revealed how Lucy’s attitude during the documentary sparked the idea to get her involved in the release.
He said: “What really struck me about Lucy’s documentary was her positivity and determination to do everything she could not to lose her voice, by recording her natural speech in readiness for the future, and how important her music was to her.
“I firmly believe that where words fail, music speaks, which is why we wanted to form a choir to raise awareness of the condition and spread Lucy’s message further.”
Doctors broke the news that Lucy had Motor Neurone Disease in November 2013, when she was 19.
The illness stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles, eventually causing sufferers to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided.
Lucy is now increasingly reliant on her wheelchair to get about, but remains determined to defy the limitations of her degenerative condition.
She has raised more than £130,000 towards finding a cure since that time, and routinely visits a gym in Elgin to keep fit.
Lucy is now busy planning an event to mark the fourth anniversary of her diagnosis, which will take place at the Mansefield Hotel in Elgin on Saturday, November 18.
The Charity Ball will feature live music, a three-course meal, an auction and a raffle.
Lucy joked: “I won’t be getting up to sing, though, I wouldn’t put them through that.”
People can buy tickets by calling either 07719689070 or 07775837061.
