Watching my mum fade away from MND was like losing her a little more every day, while she stayed completely aware of it. Her mind never went she was sharp, funny, and so full of life but her body slowly stopped listening. That’s what made it so cruel. She knew exactly what was happening and faced it with more courage than I’ve ever seen.
She was a nurse, always the one caring for others, and it broke us to see how little awareness and support there is for people living with MND. The level of one-to-one care she needed was enormous, and yet she kept her dignity, her humour, and that spark that lit up every room.
She was glamorous, intelligent, and strong — even in her weakest moments. Watching her fight until the very end changed me. It showed me what real strength, love, and resilience look like.
That’s why I’m committed to raising awareness and supporting others living with MND so no family has to face what we did, feeling unseen and alone in the fight.
Annabelles Story
With motor neurone disease, known as MND, messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste, which can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Some people also get changes to their thinking and behaviour, but the disease affects everyone differently. Not all symptoms will affect everyone, or in the same order. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict.
MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life.
