A TEENAGE girl has spoken of the hurt she feels seeing her grandfather slowly dying.

Frankie Cary, 17, from Worthing, has praised the man who ignited her passion for singing.

Her grandad, John Albon, who is in his seventies, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last summer.

Since then his health has been in decline.

And Frankie says it is sad to see it happen to someone so close to her.

She said: “He’s like another parent figure for me.

“I think we’ve noticed the physical deterioration, and it has happened quite quickly.

“But he’s still the same man.

“It is hard to see that happen.

“He used to be a policeman and I’ve grown up seeing him being quite active so it’s difficult to see him like this now.”

Frankie is a keen singer, something she attributes to her grandparents.

She said: “My grandparents showed me the Les Miserables musical and I fell in love with it.

“They’ve always been so supportive of me, they always come and watch me when I sing.”

Frankie will be putting on a special performance for her grandad at a show which will raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The show takes place on Friday at Bohunt School in Worthing.

And Frankie, who will be singing the hit song On My Own from Les Miserables, says it will be a “very emotional” occasion.

She said: “I’ll have to try to hold it together.

“I’ve looked into motor neurone disease now and worked closely with charities that help fight it.

“My whole family has been doing things to raise money.

“My mum ran the marathon recently.

“And my dad organised a golf day.

“We wanted to turn this into a positive thing.”

The family have also set up a fundraising page for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, which has already raised nearly £4,000.

Motor Neurone Disease is a disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord.

The condition attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work.

Tickets for Frankie’s fundraising show cost £10 and can be purchased online through eventbrite.co.uk.