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What is MND?

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a neurological condition which affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. There is currently no cure – it is always terminal, currently.

  • MND can affect a person’s arms and legs (muscle wasting) resulting in the need of a wheelchair whilst losing the ability to do basic things like wash, feed and dress yourself. Severe weight loss is common.

  • It may affect your ability to swallow food and drink which commonly leads to the need of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostom (PEG) feeding tube, to maintain nutritional intake as swallowing becomes impossible

  • Your voice is compromised and people are unable to talk meaning communicating is difficult.

  • Breathing muscles are also affected, which leaves you relying on a ventilator to breathe.

  • All these symptoms occur whilst your mind is unaffected.

MND stats

  • The average life expectancy is around two years from the onset of symptoms.

  • A third of people diagnosed will die within a year and half within 2 years.

  • There is a 1/300 lifetime risk in the UK of being diagnosed with MND.

  • MS, another horrendous disease has the same lifetime risk. However, the number of people alive with MS averages at 130,000. The number with MND is around 10,000. This demonstrates the rapid speed of deterioration, and why many describe MND as rare.

  • There is no known cause of MND and there is no cure or effective treatment, it’s always fatal.

  • MND is NOT a rare disease as often described and doesn’t only affect people aged 50+.

  • There is a serious lack of awareness and more importantly funding. Awareness leads to increased funding, research and should accelerate a cure.