AIN’T LIFE GRAND
Grateful Daniher ’plays on’ while he can
ROSIE is the granddaughter Neale Daniher thought he would never live to see.
But the 18-month-old is already playing a central role in one of footy’s most famous families — joining the rally call for this year’s FightMND Big Freeze fundraiser.
Daniher, diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2013, was so convinced he wouldn’t live long enough to meet his grandchildren he wrote a book outlining the thoughts he wanted them to read one day.
Rosie is the daughter of Daniher’s daughter Lauren.
He also has a grandson, Cooper, 2, son Luke’s child.
“When I was first diagnosed neither of our four children were even married so being around for grandkids seemed a very long shot — so I’m very grateful,’’ Daniher told the Herald Sun.
“I treasure the time with them, just to watch them and play silly games with them — that’s something I wasn’t always so certain that I would get to enjoy.
“They are the best kids. My wife Jan and I just love spoiling them rotten. After all, isn’t that what grandparents are for?”
Big Freeze 7 will see the famous ice slide return to the MCG when Melbourne plays Collingwood on the Queen’s Birthday June 14 holiday.
Big names from the footy and entertainment worlds are already lining up to take the icy plunge.
The movement’s iconic FightMND beanies are now on sale, this year emblazoned with the words “Play On” — the phrase Daniher used to sign off on a text message informing friends and family of his MND diagnosis.
“Play On is my mantra,’’ Daniher said.
“This disease is like the umpire’s decision at the footy — it’s not going to change, no matter how much you yell and scream.
“So we just have to play on and find a cure for it.
“No good whingeing and whining, I might as well be doing something so that kids like Rosie may never have to worry about the bloody beast of a thing.”
FightMND has committed more than $48m to research a cure since Daniher, Ian Davis, who died from MND, and Pat Cunningham, who lost his wife to the disease, founded the charity in 2014.
The average life expectancy of someone with MND is just 27 months.
“We can’t thank everyone who gets behind us enough, not only the big names, the famous sliders and the footy connections, but the wider MND Army,’’ Daniher said.
Beanies are available at Coles, Coles Express and Bunnings stores. A limited number of children’s beanies are available at fightmnd.org.au.