Flynn Semmens

Our beautiful Mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease at the end of 2024.  MND is a progressive and terminal neurological disease that causes the nerve cells responsible for movement, speech, breathing and swallowing to degenerate and die. It is an insidious and cruel disease that can move with devastating speed, taking everything - a person’s ability to move, their independence, their breath, and eventually their life.

Watching someone you love face MND is heartbreaking in a way that feels impossible to explain. There is a profound sadness and helplessness in seeing someone you love endure a disease so brutal, so relentless and so underserved. 

We are heartbroken for our Mum, and for everyone, everywhere, who has been affected by MND.

This August, my siblings and I will be taking part in the Climb for MND alongside some of our closest friends. Together, we are climbing for our Mum, for every person living with MND, for those we have already lost to this disease, for the families who love and care for them, and for the hope of a future without MND.We are climbing to raise awareness, support vital research, and stand beside those facing the unimaginable reality of this disease.

Our Dad has been part of the NSW Fire Brigade for nearly 30 years, so taking part in the Firies Climb for MND feels especially meaningful. In a time where it is hard to know what to say or do, this feels like one small but right way to honour our Mum and support the fight against MND.

#FiriesClimbforMND began with firefighters climbing the Sydney Tower to raise awareness and funds for MND. And this year, we are taking on the Furber Stairs in the Blue Mountains to continue that legacy and support the incredible and essential work being done at the MND Research Centre at Macquarie University

Every donation, share, or message of support means more to us than we can say. This is one small step towards greater awareness, more research, and hopefully one day, a world without MND.