News - MND Australia

New Mother and Daughter Rose raising funds for MND research

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -1000

Celebrity gardener Melissa King and Rankins Roses have just released an Autumn batch of the 'Mother and Daughter' Rose. This special rose was named in honour of Melissa’s mother Jan, who passed away from motor neurone disease in 2010. A portion of each sale will be donated to MND Australia to help fund research.

The fragrant, long flowering yellow rose is available from Bunnings and selected independent garden centres in NSW and Victoria now!

Find out more about the Mother and Daughter rose.

MND Australia Patron Judith Durham at the MND Week launch in Melbourne

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -1000

Australian living treasure Judith Durham joined MND Victoria and many supporters in Federation Square on Sunday 6 May to launch MND Week and to farewell Kerryn, Kylie, Melinda and Narelle who are walking from Melbourne to Wangaratta to raise funds and awareness for motor neurone disease. If you weren't able to be at Federation Square perhaps you can be at one of the towns along the way to offer your support and encouragment - Wallan / Broadford / Seymour / Euroa / Violet Town / Benalla and, finally Wangaratta on Saturday 12 May.

Judith has also recently released a new album and has announced her first Australian solo tour in over a decade! Continuing the celebration of Judith Durham’s 50th anniversary in the music industry, Universal Music Australia proudly joins forces with Musicoast for the release of two exciting new albums.

'The Australian Cities Suite’ and 'Gift of Song'.

With words and music written by Judith Durham for each of Australia’s capital cities, The Australian Cities Suite is a fundraiser for the hundreds of charities supported by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, including the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Orchestra Victoria.

This is the first time that Judith Durham’s ‘Gift Of Song’ vinyl album has ever been released on CD. Judith took delight in recording “I Can Say”, a song composed by her former “Colours Of My Life” collaborator David Reilly, which she feels, in hindsight, symbolically foretold of her husband, Ron Edgeworth, losing battle with MND in decades to come.

The Colours of My Life tour will take in all of Australia’s major capitals in July and starts on 30 June in Perth.

Further details:

www.judithdurham.com

www.musicoast.com

Get active in Motor Neurone Disease Week

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -1000

MEDIA RELEASE

Imagine your active mind being trapped in a motionless body. One by one, you lose the ability to walk, talk, swallow… and to hug.

This reality is faced by approximately 1,400 Australians who are currently living with motor neurone disease (MND). The disease ‘switches off’ the nerves which normally signal our muscles to move, leaving a person paralysed but fully alert. The cause of the disease is unknown and there is no cure.

MND Week runs from 6-12 May and MND Australia is highlighting the active minds of people living with MND. Like Duncan Bayly, aged 34. “One of the hardest parts about this disease is how insidious it is. Your brain remains completely active and you have all your faculties but your body just wastes away.”

“When I was first diagnosed (at 29) with MND, I vowed to travel as much as I could while I could still walk. I travelled round the world and while I was in Europe, I led two ‘Rides for MND’ that raised $150,000 for MND research,” says Duncan.

And he’s still active – Duncan has since got married and was recently elected to the Board of the MND Association of Victoria. His achievements are all the more incredible when you consider he is now unable to walk and has difficulty speaking without assistance.

“Far too little is known about the cause of MND and likewise any potential treatments and a cure,” said Duncan. “Research and funds are essential if we are to improve care and one day see an end to this devastating disease.”

MND Australia is calling on the community to get active by joining an event or hosting a fundraising challenge during MND Week. Funds raised for your local MND Association will provide essential equipment, improve care and provide much-needed information and support to people with MND and their carers.

To find out how to get involved in MND Week visit www.mndaust.asn.au/mnd-week

For more information about MND or to schedule an interview with a person affected by MND in your area, please contact:

Anna Love, Communications Manager, MND Australia Email: annalove@mndaust.asn.au

Carol Birks, National Executive Director, MND Australia Email: carolb@mndaust.asn.au

Journalists: Read our Background Information sheet to find out more about motor neurone disease

Allied Professionals Forum Call for Abstracts

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -1000

Chicago, 4 December

The APF is focused on practice based evidence. It is important for health and social care professionals to help each other by sharing good practice, reporting and discussing what they did and why, and the results and outcomes they achieved. The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations invites health and social care professionals to come to Chicago and share experiences with their international peers.

Please note that abstracts for the Allied Professionals Forum are dealt with separately from the main program of the Symposium.

The aim of the day is to foster the exchange of information about good practice and to facilitate the highest standard of care for people with ALS/MND and their carers.

Abstract submission closes 25 May. Read more ......

6th National MND Conference Call for Abstracts

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -1000

MND South Australia is pleased to announce the 2012 National MND Conference to be held on 10 September at the Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel in Glenelg read more....

MND Victoria Announces 2012 Nina Buscombe Awards -

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -1000

Call for Applications

“Nina’s” are awarded to celebrate the contribution and commitment demonstrated by Nina Buscombe to the improvement of services, management and research for people with motor neurone disease. The Award is presented and administered by MND Victoria. It is intended to provide funds for attendance at training courses, conferences or seminars within Australia or overseas.

The training course, conference or seminar must have content that will help to improve the quality of services, management or research for people living with motor neurone disease.

Awards are made to individuals. More than one Award may be offered. Awards will not exceed the cost of attendance. The Award comprises a certificate and a payment. The value of each Award will reflect the projected costs of travel, accommodation and registration for the applicant.

Eligibility

All people with an interest in motor neurone disease may apply. Only two applicants from any one institution or employer will be eligible for consideration. Where more than two applications are received they will be returned for determination by the institution or employer. Any person who, as at 1 April 2012, has previously benefitted from 2 or more awards under this program will be ineligible to apply until 1 April 2015. Applicants must agree to write and present a formal report on their attendance at the approved activity, with particular emphasis on the impact on people living with motor neurone disease. Past recipients who do not submit a report will be ineligible.

Basis of Selection

Applicants are required to support their application with a statement outlining how their attendance at the nominated event might impact on people living with MND. Application must include a budget for attendance and not exceed 2 pages – no attachments or publication lists. Applicants may be requested to attend a short interview. A maximum of ten (10) awards may be awarded, or not awarded, at the discretion of the Association.

Application of Funds

The Award may be used to subsidise travel, attendance fees, or other costs associated with attending the event.

Report

A requirement to present to the Association a written report within 4 weeks of the conclusion of the event will form part of the Award agreement.

Applications

Must be sent by email to ninabuscombe@mnd.asn.au. Applications received by mail or fax will not be considered and be returned. No late applications will be considered.

NB - Applications close 17 May 2012.

Hype, Hope and Reality - Journeys with MND

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -1000

Thursday 10 May - 4pm - 6pm at the Teachers Assembly Hall, University of Sydney

During MND Week there will be an event hosted by Stem Cells Australia, the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine at the University of Sydney and MND Australia to show the film Indestructible.

Diagnosed with MND filmmaker Ben Byer starts documenting his life. What begins as a series of video diaries grows into an award-winning documentary as he scours the globe looking for answers – and a potential cure. From stem cells to herbal remedies, Ben captures his and others' journeys with MND in their search for a cure that is not yet there.

Join us to watch Ben's documentary and talk with the panel about what we can learn from Ben and others’ stories and the challenges they face – most importantly the very personal impact of progressive neurological illness.

There is no cost – for more information, map and to register please click here

23rd International ALS/MND Symposium 2012 - Call for Abstracts

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -1000

and heads up on the APF - Chicago, 4 to 7 December.

The deadline for abstract submission for the International Symposium on ALS/MND is 7 May 2012. Abstracts must be submitted using the MNDA online submissions system.

Proposed platform session themes for the Clinical Meeting include:

• Patient autonomy and choice

• Caregiver support

• Surrogate markers

• End of life care and planning

• Communication

• Respiratory and nutritional management

• Registries

• Cognitive change

• Clinical trials and trial design

Allied Professionals Forum (APF) - Chicago, 4 December

Call for Abstracts for this year’s APF will go out on 23 April 2012 and we will provide a link on the this website - more details here.

MND week - get involved

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -1000

MND Australia’s biggest week of the year is just around the corner, and we’re calling for all people affected by motor neurone disease to get involved.

MND Week will be held from 6-12 May, and it is an opportunity for the MND community to come together to raise awareness of MND and show support for those living the disease and their families.

Become a face of MND

Media publicity is crucial for our cause, and we can’t raise awareness without your help. If you’re willing to share your story of life with MND – whether you have the disease or are close to someone who does – please let us know.

Find out more about MND Week and register to get involved

Quarterly MND Australia Research Update

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -1000

is now available for download on the Research News pages of this website

The March edition focuses on the role of mitochondria:

If you have ever been stuck in London’s underground in peak hour when a train breaks down, you will truly understand the chaos that a disruption in transport can cause. Like the commercial heart of the city, neurones live and die by the efficiency of their transport systems. Recent research makes it clear that disruption in active transport in motor neurones can have very serious consequences, particularly when the disruption affects mitochondria. This research update will focus on the latest research into the transport and function of mitochondria in motor neurone disease. Read more...