THE Spirit of Christmas carol event has attracted major stars to Christ Church Cathedral in recent years to help raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

But a 44-year-old mother from near Banbury will be playing a key role at next month’s big Christmas fund-raising event, which is again being backed by The Oxford Times.

Tracy McMahon, of Chipping Warden, will be lighting the first candle at the candlelit event on December 7, in aid of the UK’s leading charity that funds research into muscle-wasting conditions.

Mrs McMahon and her sister Jane Bloxham, 42, who lives in Brackley, are both manifesting carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Mrs McMahon, whose son Liam will soon celebrate his 21st birthday, was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 26. As her son grew up she had found it more difficult to lift him, and she began to struggle with back pain and experience difficulty walking.

Her sister was given a similar diagnosis at the age of 24.

Last year, more than 400 people gathered in the cathedral and helped to raise about £10,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

In the past few years Imelda Staunton, Bill Paterson, James Fleet, Miranda Richardson and Dominic West have lent their support. Celebrities attending this year’s event will be ann-ounced in the coming weeks.

Tickets are priced at between £10 and £40 and are available from the charity’s website at muscular-dystrophy.org or by calling 0207 8032861.