Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is perhaps the most talked about illness in the world at the moment, with the ice bucket challenge phenomenon.
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And its awareness couldn’t have come at a better time for Wombat woman and MND sufferer Lois Bloor and her family.
Lois was diagnosed with the condition - that progressively deteriorates the body’s muscles – almost five years ago and is the fifth member in her family over three generations to get it.
Her grandfather, mother, uncle and brother were all diagnosed with MND at 58 – like Lois – and all died at 63.
Lois turns 63 in December.
Knowing all too well there’s no effective treatment or cure, Lois - who is now fully confined to a wheelchair and completely dependent on her husband Ray - plans to keep the awareness alive by doing an ice bucket challenge on Sunday in the front yard of her Rose Street home.
"She was asking for $2 from people but people are giving her money, left, right and centre,” daughter Angela Bennett said.
“She has no goal she just wanted to do what she could and raise awareness and money to help find some treatment and cure.”
Lois has already raised just over $1000 with another $300-odd promised and more from people donating on the MND website.
Lois is well known around Wombat, having been an active community member in the village and in Young for many years.
She instigated and wrote ‘Wombat Words’, the town’s newsletter, catered for events at Wombat’s churches and was on every committee of the clubs her six children were involved in.
“She’s the most selfless woman you’ll ever meet,” Angela said.
When her mother was diagnosed wit MND, Angela admitted she almost wished it was cancer instead.
“It’s a death sentence. When she told me – and I don’t like saying this because I know how horrible it is for everyone – but I told her I wished she had cancer,” she said.
“At least then there’s some hope, with MND there’s no chance or anything.”
MND generally hits one third of your body first, hitting Lois and her mother in the top third.
Lois lost her voice first and then her swallowing ability.
“Now mum’s legs are gone, her hands are gone… she uses an iPad and an app called ‘Speak It’ [to communicate]. Her mind is still 100 per cent.”
The public is welcome to support Lois’ challenge at 11am tomorrow in Rose Street, Wombat, directly across from the oval.
