The illness Maddie faced with extraordinary courage
Maddie was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease and faced it with the openness, warmth, and bravery that defined everything she did. Understanding MND is a way to honour her journey.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a rapidly progressive and terminal neurological condition that attacks the motor neurones – the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control movement. As the disease progresses, people lose the ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe.
MND does not typically affect memory, intellect or the senses. People with MND remain fully aware of their surroundings and who they are, even as their body fails them. This can make the disease particularly cruel.
MND can affect anyone at any age, though it is more common in people over 40. Around 2,100 Australians are living with MND at any one time. Most people live for 2 to 5 years after diagnosis, though some live much longer.
There is currently no cure for MND. Some medications can help slow progression in certain patients. Research is ongoing and advances are being made, but MND remains one of the most challenging diseases facing medical science today.
If you would like to support MND research and care, organisations like MND Australia and FightMND are doing incredible work.