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About MND Scotland
Lauren grew up in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, and then moved to St Neots, Cambridgeshire. She moved to Scotland when she was eleven years old. She will begin a Musical Theatre degree at Leeds Conservatoire this year.
Lauren secured a place through the TCS London Marathon ballot earlier this year. She knew immediately that she wanted to use the opportunity to raise important funds and awareness for Scotland’s motor neuron disease charity, MND Scotland.
She regularly runs 5K and keeps fit thanks to her dance background; however, the London Marathon will be the first marathon Lauren has ever competed in.
Lauren said, “I’ve never done a marathon before, so this will be my first one. I saw the London Marathon last year because I was living in London and I thought I’d just pop along and see it.
“It was really inspiring watching people take part. I saw a few people from MND Scotland pass by, and something just clicked with me. I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to enter the ballot and just see if I get a place’.”
After entering the ballot, Lauren admits she almost forgot about it until an email arrived.
She said, “I entered it, and then kind of forgot that I’d done that. Then I saw my email and thought, ‘Oh my God, I actually got a place! ‘I just couldn’t believe it. There was only a small chance that I’d get through the ballot, so I thought, ‘Well, I’d better start training!’.”
Despite gaining a place through the public ballot, which meant she was not required to run for charity, Lauren knew she wanted to run in support of MND Scotland.
She said, “I picked MND Scotland because of the connection with my mum. Watching someone you love live with MND is heartbreaking, but throughout everything, my mum has shown so much strength, courage, and resilience.”
On 20 November 2024, Nicola Filshie, a mother of two, and former West End performer, was diagnosed with Bulbar ALS – a type of MND that affects the face, neck and throat.
Nicola began her West End career at Betty Stewart’s dance school in Clydebank and later joined the Minerva Juniors Amateur Dramatics Society. She landed a role in the West End production of Annie at age 11. After moving to London at 16, she spent 15 years performing in the West End, the National Theatre, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Her notable performances include: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, Oliver, Martin Guerre, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, Beautiful and Damned and South Pacific.
Today, MND has affected Nicola’s ability to talk, eat, and swallow.
In Scotland, around 480 people are currently living with MND.
Reflecting on her mother’s diagnosis, Lauren said, “It was sort of the opposite of what people often think of with MND. My mum started slurring her words, and she was struggling to speak.
“She’s a singing and dancing teacher, and while she was doing lessons, she was finding it difficult to talk through them. She could not understand why it was happening. You just don’t think it could be something like that.”
The family faced a long wait before receiving answers. Lauren said, “It took about a year for her to be diagnosed because people just kept saying things like, ‘Oh, it’s just getting older’.”
Since receiving the diagnosis, Lauren has seen the devastating progression of the disease first-hand.
She said, “It has gotten significantly worse over time. She can’t use her arms now, and she’s struggling to walk, so we have carers coming in three times a day. It has progressed since my mum was featured in MND Scotland’s Christmas campaign. You really notice how quickly things can change.”
As her mum’s condition progressed, Lauren, her brother, Adam, and her father have rallied around her, supporting each other through the challenges that MND brings.
The family are currently caring for Lauren’s mum at home, although a move into a care setting is likely in the coming months.
Lauren added, “My Dad and I are full-time carers for her. Soon in September, we’ll both have to go back to work and university, so I think being somewhere with more support around her will make things smoother and more comfortable for her.
“Watching someone decline is the hardest thing. Because I’ve been away at university, I wouldn’t see her for a couple of months, and then I’d come back and notice a change. When you’ve not seen someone for a while, the changes can really hit you.”
“The only person I’d really heard of with MND was Stephen Hawking. When my dad told me Mum had it, I didn’t know what it was. I remember asking, ‘What is that?'”
MND is a rapidly progressing terminal neurological illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This causes muscle weakness and wasting. MND can rob someone of the ability to walk, talk, swallow and breathe.
The average life expectancy of someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. There is no cure or meaningful treatments.
Throughout her mum’s illness, Lauren says MND Scotland has supported Nicola and her family.
Lauren said, “We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from MND Scotland. They have helped my mum and our family in so many ways, providing vital support, guidance, and funding when we needed it most. Their work makes a real difference to people living with MND and to the families supporting them.
“My mum told me they helped sort out a solicitor for her and things like disability allowance. She got her disabled parking badge through that support.
“They also offered counselling to us as a family. I didn’t take it up myself, but it was really nice knowing it was there and available.”
Lauren is pursuing her lifelong dream of a career in musical theatre, something heavily influenced by her parents’ own backgrounds in the performing arts.
She said, “My whole life I’ve been surrounded by musical theatre. My mum and dad were both involved in it, my brother loves it too, so it has just always been part of our lives. I’ve always wanted to do it.
“When my mum was pregnant with me she was performing in the West End, so I always joke that I was on the West End before I was born!
“I’ve been heavily influenced by it all, and now I’m hoping to have a career in the West End, on tours or on cruise ships. That’s the dream.”
Lauren will swap the stage for the streets of London in April 2027 as she takes on 26.2 miles in honour of her mum, and everyone affected by MND.
She said, “I’m excited to do it. I need to start training properly, but I can’t wait to get going.”
MND Scotland would like to say thank you and good luck to Lauren in her training for the TCS London Marathon, and for helping make time count for families affected by motor neuron disease.
If you would like to support Lauren’s challenge by donating, please visit: https://2027tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/lauren-cobey-b1344
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