Walking for motor neurone disease

AWARENESS: The Extreme Walk to D'Feet MND Team from Fire and Emergency New Zealand. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The spotlight will soon shine on motor neurone disease (MND) as a team of local Fire and Emergency New Zealand firefighters take part in an extreme version of Walk 2 D'Feet MND.

The team of personnel are challenging themselves to brave a 170km walk between Palmerston North and Wellington, wearing 20kg of gear including masks and air supplies.

Nearly all team members have been affected personally by MND.

Senior firefighter Belinda Cadzow lost her father to MND in 1999 when he was 56 years old. She says the lack of information at the time meant diagnosis was hard to pinpoint.

MND is the name given to a group of diseases affecting nerve cells and neurones, which ultimately control one's ability to move, speak, breathe and swallow. These muscles degenerate and eventually die.

"Dad had three years with it before he passed but, when it came to diagnosis, it was a case of ruling every other possibility out before diagnosing MND," Ms Cadzow said. "We will never really know how long he lived with it before then."

She says the hardest part was seeing her father, who was once a huge sportsman, lose the use of his legs.

"With dad it attacked his legs first. He started by stumbling and losing his motion, so at first it looked a lot like he was drunk.

"That was the really degrading part."

For Ms Cadzow the extreme walk is a way to finally "do something for dad", and help other affected families feel like they are not alone.

"This is a way of letting them know they have support and do not have to face this alone. MND is an all-encompassing disease.

"To see your loved one go from a bright healthy person, to completely losing any sense of themselves can be so overwhelming."

The team are busy training for the walk which will leave Palmerston North on Friday, November 10 and arrive in Wellington on Sunday, November 12. Here they will join the Wellington Walk 2 D'Feet MND event.

"Some of the boys are in the gym on the treadmill in full breathing apparatus as we speak. They are going all out and I am completely blown away."

Each year over 100 New Zealanders die as a result of MND, with over 300 people living with the condition.

People can donate $3 by texting WALK to 2449 or via the MND hero page at everydayhero.co.nz/event/MNDWalk2017-Extreme.