Starting conversation about Motorneurone
RAISING awareness of motorneurone disease, and building bridges, were among the goals of a rainy walk around the Wingatui Racecourse yesterday morning.
Between 9.30am and 12.30pm about 200 people — including three MND sufferers — trooped around the course, some with umbrellas, for the 3km Walk 2 D’Feet MND.
Every year about 300 people around the country suffer from the rare, rapidly progressing neurological disease, which often begins with weakness of the muscles in the hands, feet or voice.
‘‘The more people I talk to, the more people seem to have a connection — it’s about starting that conversation,’’ Motorneurone Disease Association of New Zealand branch organiser for Dunedin Abi Charters said.
She encouraged people on the walk to talk to their neighbours and discuss why they had decided to join, to counter the idea of MND being a ‘‘hidden disease’’.
Her own involvement with the association was personal, and began following the death of her father from the condition in 2013, she said.
Her sisterinlaw also got involved this year, cycling 84km — the length of two marathons — on an exercycle to raise funds for the association.
Walk 2 D’Feet has been held in Dunedin before but this was the first time the walk had been at the racecourse. The feedback she received was good.
Dunedinbased MND sufferer Grant Clarkson, a former gold stardecorated station officer at Lookout Point station, was ‘‘quite able’’ to get around the track in a walker.
Brighton Volunteer Fire Brigade member Paul Dennehy, diagnosed in March this year, also completed the walk, and other members of the brigade turned up in support.
The age at which the disease struck seemed to be getting earlier. In this event the third sufferer taking part was only 33.
Each participant in the event set up a fundraising page, and while the total had not been added up, some entrants had topped $1000, Mrs Charters said.
Activities for children had also been held during the morning.