He's my Kevin Sinfield, campaigner with MND says

"Justin is my Kevin Sinfield, that one-in-a-million mate," says David Scott, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) last year.

Justin Middleton has been working with his friend David to raise awareness of MND, and their efforts have resulted in more than £100,000 being collected for charity.

The pair's latest fundraising effort is MND Fest, which is being held on Saturday at Leicester's St Andrews Football Club in Aylestone from 09:00 to 22:00 BST, when local musicians are set to perform.

David, who lives with his wife Claire in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, said Justin "has been there for me and my family every single step during my journey".

"You ask yourself, why me? He could be having an easier life right now, but he chooses to help me and my family," David added.

David was diagnosed with MND in February 2024, and he says the disease affects him on "a daily basis".

He said: "My speech, eating, drinking, all of which I can no longer do.

"Eating is done via my feeding peg. Speech via my iPad.

"My mobility is now also very restricted, and I'm in continuous pain in my back and shoulder area, and I have to use a ventilator to help with my breathing during the night and when I'm not feeling great."

David and Justin have scaled Ben Nevis in Scotland, the Three Peaks in Yorkshire and cycled 330 miles (531km) from Barmouth in Wales to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

MND Fest is "our way of giving back to the MND community and to make happy memories", David says.

David has also been nominated for a BBC Radio Leicester Make A Difference Award, which he described as "fantastic".

"It means we are doing something that is making a difference to help others, and to win it would be another fantastic opportunity to raise awareness for MND and the MND community," he added. "I could die a happy man.

"I have been given less than a year to live, so I want to give back as much as possible to the MND community.

"I want others to learn from my MND journey, and most importantly, I don't want others and other families to go through what my family and myself are going through at present.

"That gives me the fire in my belly to keep on fighting, although it is becoming harder each day."

Justin said he was expecting "a really good day" at MND Fest.

"We've got some really good bands on and a lot of events for children as well," he added.

When asked about David's comparisons between him and Kevin Sinfield, whose campaign in honour of his friend Rob Burrow has given MND national coverage, Justin said: "I'm not sure about that. He's a big man to try and walk in his steps, so I don't know. That's for David to answer."

He added that he and David had "always been friends that never need to say a lot".

"We just always know we're there," he said. "I know he's struggling, I'm just trying to do as much as I can to help his mental health as much as anything else and distract him from what's going on."

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