Gabby is taking on the Shut Up! For MND Challenges next month to help raise awareness and funds to support people living with MND, like her sister-in-law, Lisa.

"I am doing the Shut Up! For MND Challenges for my sister-in-law, Lisa Klink. She has been so very brave throughout this dreadful crippling disease. She has persevered in spite of immensely challenging deteriorations in her physical capacity, while her mind has remained sharp. I am doing the Shut Up! Challenge because I feel this is just an infinitesimally small way, that I can appreciate some of the pain of losing your voice. A communication tool we all take for granted. I hope I can honour this Challenge, and do for just one day what MND sufferers do every day. 

Ultimately, it is so important that it is clear, that I am a participant in this Challenge to support Lisa's story. It is not my story."

Below are some of Lisa's own words of her painful realisation that her voice and words were failing her. It is her written words here, that are now my inspiration to meet the challenge of not having my words for a day.

In Lisa's words....

"I wasn't aware that changes in my speech was an indication that I could have bulbar onset MND and would like to get this message across to the wider community if possible. My speech started to change around September / October 2023. It was hard for others to notice at first but I was aware my speech was strange. By November, it was more obvious and I approached my daughter who is a doctor and asked her if she was aware that my speech had changed. She immediately replied yes! Unfortunately I waited until January 2024 to begin the testing process by which time my speech had changed so much that I had to slow down what I said so I didn't stumble on words. It took until July 25, 2024 to get an official diagnosis which was a long time to wait for an answer. It's very frustrating not being able to speak."

80% of people living with motor neurone disease lose their ability to speak as the disease progresses and become reliant on other ways of communicating.

By taking part in the Shut Up! For MND: Challenges Edition, you’ll help raise vital awareness and funds for those living with MND now.

Join now and take on a day of powerful Challenges on November 13 – How many challenges will you complete?