Sadly, in medical research there are no ‘quick fixes’. A cruel reality Estelle Beere knows all too well, having recently said goodbye to her husband, Ray, following his four-year battle with motor neuron disease (MND).?
MND is a life-limiting condition that causes nerves to become damaged and die, muscles to weaken and waste away. Over time, patients lose the ability to walk, talk and even breathe. Currently, there is no cure.?
Ray was a willing (in his words) ‘guinea pig’ in research he hoped would one day yield results for future MND patients. Sharing his story with RBWH Foundation donors just weeks before he passed, his goal was to encourage others to become partners in patient care innovation and life-saving research, for conditions such as MND, through regular, monthly donations.
He understood that breakthroughs were unlikely in his shortened lifetime and yet he, and Estelle, shared their story freely in the hope that their pain might at least provide a stepping stone to progress.
It’s stories, and generosity, like Ray and Estelle’s that not only inspire us to give but drives the clinicians working tirelessly to make the impossible possible – to lift the MND ‘death sentence’ and give more people more time.
In the words of Associate Professor Rob Henderson from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) MND Clinic?-
“With every piece of research and clinical trial you learn a little bit more about the disease. One day, a trial will be the one we need.”
Spurred on by the bravery and determination of patients like Ray, loving partners like Estelle, and by the compassion and dedication of clinicians like Dr Henderson, we will continue this journey - no matter how long it takes.
Walk with us by becoming a regular giving partner.
Make a difference, now and into the future, month by month.
