In 2025 Will Macintyre was well on the way to an international racing career; a successful graduation from karts yielded runnerup positions in Ginetta Junior and the F4 British Championship in successive seasons.

Moving to GB3 Will placed fifth in his first season but, despite a win in the opening rounds at Silverstone, he was not making the progress expected in his second year. Instead, Will was struggling with health issues, in particular extreme headaches, vomiting and fatigue. Shortly after his 18th Birthday Will sought medical help and just hours later, with his adult life and professional racing career just beginning, faced a devasting diagnosis of lung and brain cancer.

For anyone this would be an overwhelming situation, but Macintyre’ s initial course of chemotherapy was, if anything, making the situation worse. Further tests suggested vasculitis, an autoimmune condition where healthy blood cells become swollen and narrow but the treatment for this wasn’ t helping either.

Following many more tests and biopsies, he has now been diagnosed with XLP1, a rare genetic disorder that affects around one in every million males. Those with the condition are especially susceptible to the Epstein- Barr virus that causes glandular fever as their immune system cannot

regulate an important type of white blood cell in response to the infection.

Although there is the relief of an accurate diagnosis, presently the only cure for Macintyre’ s condition is stem cell therapy but a donor for this needs to be found. In the meantime, he is having to receive regular antiviral medications, steroids, and immunoglobulin therapies to manage his symptoms.

Anyone between the ages of 16 and 30 can become a stem cell donor. Just a simple registration process and swab sample is required to be placed on the register. Once a suitable recipient is found, donation is made via a straightforward medical procedure.

MOTORSPORT SUPPORT Prof. Peter Hutchinson is the leading surgeon at the neuroscience facility in Cambridge University and is treating Will, following a referral from Chief Executive of MSV, Dr Jonathan Palmer.‘ Hutch’ also happens to lead the medical team at the British GP.

Donations for the proposed iMRI facility can be made via Intra-operative MRI | Support Cambridge.

Dr Jonathan Palmer, alongside Sian Macintyre and Professor Peter Hutchinson

Hutch is currently campaigning for an intra-operative MRI in Cambridge, which would transform the research and treatment of brain tumours and neurodegenerative diseases such as Will’ s condition. The facility – for which £ 6M is needed through donations alone – will benefit patients of all ages; from epilepsy, cerebral palsy and brain cancer in the young to spine and brain injuries, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’ s, Huntington’ s and Alzheimer’ s. It is estimated that over 600,000 people each year in the UK are diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease or genetic condition that affects brain function.

“ The provision of an iMRI in Cambridge will be a quantum leap for the management of patients with diseases affecting the brain,” Prof. Hutchingson says.“ It will build on the strong partnership between the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’ s Hospital to improve the treatment of patients and facilitate research projects investigating novel therapies for a wide range of neurological conditions across all ages.”

Revolution Magazine 39