Britain's Got Talent: Who is singer Mark McMullan? Singer's amazing tribute to brother

30 May 2019, 10:36 | Updated: 30 May 2019, 10:41

Mark McMullan sailed through to the Britain's Got Talent live semi-finals after performing 'Bring Him Home' as a tribute to his brother Declan, who has locked-in syndrome.

Mark is hoping to bring awareness to brain injury Locked-In Syndrome, after his brother was tragically left unable to move because of the condition.

Here's all the important facts about the talented singer from Northern Ireland:

1. Who is Mark McMullan on BGT?

   

   Mark McMullan - Bring Him Home | The Late Late Show | RTÉ One

   Mark is 23 years old, and hails from Northern Ireland.

   The singer explained that he went for Britain's Got Talent this year as "everything lined up" for him.

   Mark has previously sung 'Bring Him Home' on Ireland's Late, Late, Late Show in 2015, while his family watched in the audience.

   He first became known after a YouTube video of Saintfield student Mark singing the same song to his disabled brother went viral.

2. What happened to Mark's brother Declan?

   

   Marks Ode To Declan (Les Miserables - "Bring him home") Declan suffers from Locked in Syndrome.

   On March 16, 2012, Declan had lived a normal teenage life. He had been out for a night with friends before his life was changed forever with no warning.

   Speaking to Metro, Mark explained: "Declan unfortunately when he was 19, he suffered a cardiac arrest in his bedroom, when we were getting ready for school one morning.

   "He just dropped dead in the middle of the bedroom, but obviously, at this point, he was up earlier than the rest of us in the house so nobody was awake to know what was happening.

   "We went in to check on him, when I was getting ready for school that morning and I just happened to notice he was lying in quite a weird position on his bed.

   "He just didn’t look normal, and eventually I went over to him and realised that at that point he was dead, he wasn’t breathing."

   

   As he and his father knew CPR, the family were able to revive Declan enough to get him to a hospital, but his brain condition had suffered irreparable damage.

   Locked-in Syndrome is a rare motor disability that happens when a part of the brainstem, known as the pons, is damaged, and causes paralysis in all voluntary movement.

   Mark, who was aged 17 at the time, gave up his hopes of a music career in London by focusing on becoming an architect, which allowed him to live near to home.

   However, Mark’s music has helped him communicate with his brother, leading to a video of him singing 'Bring Him Home' going viral in Ireland.