My mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) at the end of 2022. She was 72. There were things we’d noticed, prior to this – such as the odd fall, or that her mobility didn’t seem as good as it once was. Understandably, we’d assumed these were age-related issues. 

 

I called the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) the morning after, to ask for help unravelling the news we’d received. It soon became clear that MND is a disease with no cure – and hearing about the 1 in 300 statistic confirmed that isn’t as rare as we think. It kills a third of people within one year, and more than half within two years of diagnosis. This became a benchmark; constantly wondering what type of statistic Mum would end up being.

 

At the beginning of 2023 a peg tube was fitted into mum’s stomach because she’d been finding it harder to swallow. MND sufferers have a high risk of choking, because the disease attacks the nerves that control movement, which impacts their ability to eat, drink and speak.

 

Towards the end of 2023, Mum had to leave her home of 40+ years and move to a full-time nursing home. By this point she’d been bed ridden for months and lost the use of both legs. She was on Bi-Pap 24hours a day because her lungs couldn’t function on their own. Mum was now unable to speak – our only way of communication was through texting on her phone, which eventually became impossible. Her fully-functioning mind was trapped in a non-functioning body. 

 

I talked to Mum about the idea of doing a photography print sale to raise awareness of MND. Once she died, I was even more determined to make it a success – the support I’ve had from photographers all around the world has been overwhelming. 

 

Six people are diagnosed with MND every day. It doesn’t discriminate in terms of age, race or gender. 

 

My only hope is that there might be a cure or treatment on the horizon soon, but there needs to be a lot more funding in MND research for this to happen. 

 

With your help, whatever we donate can make a difference. 

 

Thank you.

Mark Sanders