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Buckie woman takes on Peruvian challenge for her best friend

Pippa Cortis and best friend Lucy Lintott
Pippa Cortis and best friend Lucy Lintott

A Moray woman is preparing to take on a mammoth trek to help raise awareness of her best friend’s illness.

Pippa Curtis, 23, will be backpacking through the Andes Mountains next month in aid of MND Scotland.

Her best friend, Lucy Lintott, was diagnosed with MND when she was just 19 years old and has been Miss Cortis’ travelling companion on many occasions on numerous world-wide trips since then.

However, Miss Lintott now faces her own personal challenge of living with MND, and is the source of inspiration for her friend’s next adventure.

Miss Cortis, of Drybridge in Buckie, will be trekking for six days to the ancient city of Machu Picchu, with 25 other MND Scotland fundraisers in September.

She said: “When Lucy was diagnosed it was such a shock to me. I knew there was something wrong but had no idea it was MND.

“I met up with Lucy in October 2013 for a quick catch up while she was waiting for her train from Aberdeen back home. This was the first time I’d seen Lucy in about seven months and I could see there was something wrong with the way she was walking. I just thought it was because she’d been sitting on a bus for a few hours so didn’t want to say anything.

“I thought it was a joke that someone just made up. I wasn’t really sure what MND was either, I just knew it was what Stephen Hawking has, so after a lot of time on the internet researching it I felt like I had a better understanding as to what MND is.”

Since Miss Lintott’s diagnosis the pair has been on some “amazing adventures” together.

Miss Cortis said: “We’ve been to Italy twice, travelled to the other side of the world together, scuba-dived the Great Barrier Reef, and have been to concerts. In October we are off to Iceland and next year I’m having the amazing honour of having Lucy as my bridesmaid.”

On her upcoming trek, she said: “Lucy has taught me to never take life for granted and to do everything you want to do. So when I saw the opportunity come up to trek to Machu Picchu, in aid of MND Scotland, I jumped on it and signed up right away.”

Iain McWhirter, head of fundraising and volunteering, said: “Since her diagnosis Lucy Lintott has helped raise so much awareness of MND and funds to help support others across the country and it is fantastic to see her friends getting involved and supporting her too.

“This experience will be like none other and Pippa’s motivation and positivity to do something to support her best friend will keep her going to the end. We’re all wishing Pippa and the rest of the team the best of luck.”

To donate to Pippa’s JustGiving page visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pippa-cortis