This week is Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Week – May 5th to May 11th, a cause very dear to my family. In 2009 I lost my beloved uncle, Ian Bell, to MND; Ian left behind a young daughter and a devastated family who supported him throughout his brief, but intense battle with MND.
The motor neurone diseases (MND) are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, swallowing, and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and cause increasingly debilitating disability and, eventually, death. There is currently no treatment or cure for MND. Average lifespan following diagnosis is 1-2 years. Average age at diagnosis is in the 60’s. MND can be very aggressive in the young.
Ongoing care for sufferers of MND and research into a cure are both desperately needed and it’s through fundraising that both these objectives can be worked towards. Please take the time to have a look at the national website to find out more about MND and how you can contribute.
http://www.mndaust.asn.au/
I also want to mention two extremely brave men, both in their 30’s, Ian Davis and Scott Sullivan who are battling Motor Neurone Disease/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (MND/ALS). Individually, neither is able to ride a bike independently anymore, but by joining forces the two have met MND head on, and are riding as one. These two courageous men launched Ride to Conquer MND, and cycling “One Million Metres For MND” or 1000km from Brisbane to Sydney this week. Please join them in their fight to push MND into the limelight and raise much needed awareness and funds for research into a cure!
Scott and Ian hope the ride will financially support researchers into extending basic knowledge into the disease to better understand its cause and help identify where future therapies may play a role.
You can contribute directly at this website:
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/RidetoConquerMND
