CENTRAL West farmer Michael Ridley is a fairly typical Australian bloke in that it takes a lot for him to go and see a doctor.

But four years ago, he knew something was wrong when his right leg began to drag behind him a little as he walked – and after a series of tests and a visit to a neurologist, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, a progressive, paralysing disease that many Australians have never heard of.

“The diagnosis basically involved the doctor telling him to go home and get his affairs in order, because he probably only had two years to live,” says Michael’s daughter, Cindy McGhie.

“There’s no treatment, no cure; it’s a degenerative terminal illness, so when mum and dad called me to tell me the news, it was quite devastating. And it’s been devastating to watch him lose the ability to do anything.”

MND is the name given to a group of diseases where there’s damage to motor neurones, which are nerve cells that control the movement of voluntary muscles such as those of the limbs, the tongue, and the muscles involved with swallowing and breathing.

With no nerves to activate them, the muscles gradually weaken and atrophy, causing paralysis. Symptoms may include a feeling of weakness in the extremities, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech or muscle twitching or cramps. In most cases the senses, intellect and memory aren’t affected.

Cindy, an accountant from Hughes, makes the three-hour trip to visit her parents near Caragabal every fortnight with her husband, Fergus, five-year-old Hugh and two-year-old Pia. She’s also about to take part in Canberra’s “Global Day Walk to D’Feet Motor Neurone Disease”, which will take place on Sunday, June 19, alongside Lake Burley Griffin.

The walk aims to raise awareness of the little-known disease – those who have heard of it may associate it with sufferer and mathematician, physicist and author Prof Stephen Hawking – and funds for research.

“I feel very fortunate that dad is still with us four years on, and also that he’s still at home with mum [Julie],” Cindy says. “Mum’s his full-time carer, and if she didn’t do what she does, he wouldn’t be able to be at home right now.

“It’s taken its toll on her, too, as not only is she dealing with losing her husband, she’s physically exhausted! She’s a tiny woman, and there’s a lot of physical work involved with dressing dad, getting him up in the morning, making sure he’s there as part of every day.”

Last year, Cindy helped raise more than $15,000 for research, and she has her sights set high again this year.

“I say ‘MND’ stands for ‘more needs doing’,” she says. “I really want people to be more aware of what this disease is, and how hard it is on families and carers.

“But it’s also been such a positive experience to help raise awareness, and it’s given us all a lot of joy that we’ve been able to do this while dad’s still here, and not in his memory.”

For more information or to join the walk, visit www.mndnsw.asn.au or to donate, visit www.everydayhero.com.au