ON AVERAGE, EVERY DAY 2 AUSTRALIANS ARE DIAGNOSED WITH MND, AND EVERY DAY 2 AUSTRALIANS DIE FROM MND
MND Victoria has focussed on care and support programs to improve the lives of thousands of Victorian families impacted by MND for the last 41 years. We are the only not-for-profit organisation providing direct care to all Victorians living with the devastating disease, at no cost to them.
Support
Helping those diagnosed with MND through services and programs: Support Coordination, Support Groups, Carer respite, Bucket List Wish opportunities, volunteer services.
Equipment
Providing equipment and home modifications for those diagnosed with MND at no cost to them, to help them live as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Awareness
Implementing awareness and education programs through evidence-based information and resources, for the community, health professionals and government.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
MND is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the nerves that support movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing.
Motor neurones normally carry messages from the brain to the muscles via the spinal cord. The messages allow people to make voluntary movements like walking, swallowing, talking and breathing. With MND, however, the nerves become damaged and start to die so muscles gradually get weaker and waste away.
There is currently no known cause, treatment, or cure. In 90-95% of cases of MND, the cause is unknown. In the other 5-10% of cases, a genetic mutation is the cause of the disease. Inherited MND is also known as “familial MND”.
The effects of MND - initial symptoms, rate, the pattern of progression, and survival time after diagnosis - vary significantly from person to person. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is 27 months.
Motor neurone disease is also known in different parts of the world as:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), named after the most common type
- Lou Gehrig’s Disease
- Maladie de Charcot (Charcot’s disease)
For more information on MND Victoria visit the website.
Introduction to MND