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Girl records Christmas song after cancer treatment

Adele WilkinsonLeicester
News imageBBC Bethany Quinn is standing in front of a professional recording mic and wearing headphones. She is turned towards the side, smiling. She is wearing black headphones and the microphone is silver. The mic filter is black. She is also wearing a grey top with white stripes down the arms and has ginger long hair. BBC
Bethany Quinn was allowed to record the Christmas song in a professional studio to help take her mind off treatment

A teenager undergoing cancer treatment has recorded a Christmas song to cheer up her family after a difficult year.

Bethany Quinn, 14, from Coalville, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma earlier this year and decided to write the song after she found out the last stage of her chemotherapy treatment would take place over Christmas, which is her favourite time of the year.

She said: "I was thinking to myself, I've not had a good year, and I bet other people haven't had a good year as well, and my family love when I sing.

"So I thought, I'm going to sing a song for everyone and cheer them up."

Bethany had to give up singing for eight months because her chemotherapy affected her vocal cords but her family has said they are delighted she is now able to sing again.

She and her friend Elsie Williamson, also 14, wrote different lyrics to the song 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas' a few weeks ago and named it "Christmas in Coalville."

The pair recorded the song on Bethany's phone and it was shared online by her mum, Rebecca Quinn.

Coalville Public Radio then heard the song and appealed to the local music community to help give Bethany the 'star for a day' experience to record professionally.

HQ Recording Studio Leicester stepped in and asked if they could help Bethany record her song.

Bethany said she was "so thankful" for the experience and community support and could not believe that it had happened.

News imageBethany Quinn is sat down in the recording studio, wearing a grey long sleeved top with white stripes down the sleeves. The top says 08 on it and has a star above the numbers. She has long ginger hair and the silver recording mic is on the left on a black stand. Elsie Williamson is to the right of her and standing slightly behind. She is wearing a black cropped shirt with the number 58 on, and also has a star above the number. She is wearing grey jeans with a black belt.
Elsie Williamson helped Bethany to write new lyrics to the song 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas'

Bethany's mother Rebecca said she was "so sad" when her daughter stopped singing after doctors advised that the chemotherapy may affect her voice.

"I just want to see her happy and to see a smile on her face," Rebecca said.

"I was so sad that she stopped singing during her treatment because that's all she lived for - she was always in the bathroom singing."

Elsie, who co-wrote the lyrics with Bethany, said she was "really happy to help".

"She's been a really good friend to me," she added.

The song was recorded on December 11 and has been circulated to community radio stations across the UK.

News imageRebecca Quinn is standing in the mixing area of the studio, and is wearing a brown Christmas jumper with white Christmas trees on, and a round silver necklace. She also has a black waistcoat style coat on over the top which is unbuttoned, revealing a beige colour on the inside. She's wearing black framed glasses too, and her brown hair is tied up.
Rebecca Quinn is happy her daughter feels able to sing again

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