MND Warrior Lucy Lintott Smith Awarded BEM

Lucy Lintott Smith, who was diagnosed with MND in 2013, has been honoured with a British Empire Medal (BEM).

Diagnosed with the terminal illness motor neuron disease (MND) at the age of just 19, Lucy has spent much of her time raising awareness of MND, fundraising to find a cure and making time count with her loved ones.

Tragically, most people with MND only live for between one and two years after a diagnosis, and nearly half will die within a year. Almost 10 years on from her own diagnosis Lucy has achieved so much personally and in her charity work.

In 2014, the mum of two launched ‘Lucy’s Fight’ – a website to share her personal experience of MND, tick items off her bucket list and aimed to raise £100,000 for MND Scotland. Lucy has raised an incredible amount of awareness by sharing her journey publicly, most notably through BBC documentaries ‘MND and 22-Year-Old Me’ and ‘Being Mum with MND’.

By sharing her story she has motivated fundraisers, politicians, business leaders, and the Scottish public to join her fight to find a cure so that future generations may be free of this cruel disease. Friends and family have been inspired to take on epic challenges to contribute to her fundraising total, including trekking the Himalayas, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu and Kilimanjaro. Exceeding her target of raising £100,000 for MND Scotland, Lucy’s total now sits at over £180,000.

The funds Lucy, her friends and family have raised is making a real impact, allowing MND Scotland to continue providing vital support to people living with MND today, and fund pioneering research which is bringing us closer to finding meaningful treatments and a cure.

On hearing the news of her BEM, Lucy said: “It’s very surreal being awarded a British Empire Medal. I still can’t believe it, I’m very honoured.”

Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s CEO, said: “I would like to thank Lucy for all her efforts to raise awareness of motor neuron disease and for the incredible amount she has raised to help others with MND and to find a cure. Lucy truly deserves this honour for everything she has done in the face of a devastating diagnosis. When time matters most, MND Scotland is a helping hand of support, so people like Lucy can make precious time count with the ones they love. We can only continue to do this through incredible support from people like Lucy and all those she has inspired to join our cause.”

If you’ve been inspired by Lucy, and others affected by MND, you can make time count by joining our cause too:

• Donate today
• Join an event
• Organise your own fundraiser
• Become a corporate partner