The Daniher’s Drive began as a small idea just six months ago.

Reflecting on the inception of the drive, Dr.Ian Davis – sufferer of MND and founder of the ‘Cure for MND’ foundation, was surprised at how quickly it all came together.

“Neale (Daniher) came to me and just said ‘I’m going to go on a drive around Victoria’”, Davis said.

“When we think about how it just started from a tiny idea and essentially a conversation between Neale and I, to then grow into this – it’s absolutely amazing.

“I knew that once you get the Daniher clan involved, it’s always going to be big, but even I was surprised at how many people were willing to join in.”

In only its first year, the Daniher’s Drive had 54 teams come together for a four day drive around Victoria beginning at the iconic MCG, travelling down the coast to Warrnambool, through the Grampians to Bendigo, then off to Albury before returning back to Melbourne (all while stopping along the way).

Started in 2014, Cure for MND has three primary aims – to cure, to care and to make aware.

The Daniher’s Drive was particularly aimed at the ‘care’ focus of the foundation, hoping to raise money that would directly benefit those who suffer from the disease.

“It was a drive for the people,” Davis said.

“MND is an expensive disease, especially as it progresses. You require more equipment, modifications to the house and full-time care.

“It all adds up.”

Funding is one of the most important areas the foundation works on.

This year alone, the government contributed only 0.5% of its allocation to funding MND research which equates to approximately $2 million. The foundation estimates this would be enough to appropriately fund seven full-time researchers.

Through the ‘Big Freeze’ campaign earlier this year, the foundation raised more than $2.4 million.

This money has already been invested in MND research in Australia, with the foundation hopeful it will be able to conduct Australia’s first clinical trials for 30 patients later this year.

But the drive’s importance runs deeper than just money.

It provides an opportunity for those who suffer from MND and their families and friends to come together to find a shared sense of comfort in each others’ company.

“When you’re given a diagnosis like MND, it’s very isolating,” Davis said.

“It’s obviously very scary and you can feel very alone.

“To hear about the Daniher’s Drive, to see it on the news or to see it roll through your town is very important.

“It gives people a real sense of hope out to those people that they’re not alone and that there are people out there fighting for them.”

Dr. Ian Davis’ own personal  journey with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) began in the most inconspicuous way.

The 33-year-old had noticed something wasn’t quite right when he was walking.

Like most people would, Davis initially passed it off as a ‘pinched nerve’ or by telling himself he had slept funny – all the usual responses to something that most people would normally ignore and get on with their day-to-day lives.

When the problem hadn’t gone away, Davis knew that there was something wrong and approached a colleague. Davis would undergo a series of rigorous tests and face an excruciating wait before receiving his diagnosis.

On the 13^th of September, 2011 he would receive the news that would change everything.  At 5:45pm, Ian was told he had the incurable MND and had between two to five years to live.

 “As I heard the words come out of his mouth, my life, my future, my dreams, and very nearly my spirit, were destroyed,” Davis said during an interview in 2013.

“These were replaced with anxiety, fear and on the drive home that day, panic.”

MND is often referred to by Dr.Ian Davis and Neale Daniher as ‘The Beast’, an unfortunately accurate description of the disease.

Rather than lay down and not go out without a fight, Davis joined forces with friend and co-founder Patrick Cuningham  (whose wife Angie suffers from MND) to start the foundation.

Working off their laptops in a small room, the two made great headways before being joined by Neale Daniher late last year – with the former footballer’s presence within the community a somewhat of a blessing in the foundations’ attempts to raise awareness.

The three men are well aware none of the work they are doing now will benefit them in anyway, but spurred on by the generosity of others are more than happy to continue the work they have been doing.

“When Neale first came on board, I said to him ‘we’re the Cure for MND foundation but everything we do or achieve is not going to help us,” Davis said.

“Neale straight out said to me ‘I don’t care. Let’s do this.’

“It can be a really tough game sometimes.

“Neale and I are both dealing with the disease and then trying to run the foundation as well, so some days are really tough.

“But when you see this type of generosity it really makes it easy.”

Although it may only officially a three-man board, Davis and the rest are spurred on by the thousands of members of what they have dubbed the ‘Freeze Army’.

For Ian, however, the ‘Beast’ is slowly winning the battle.

Although he is well aware of the reality, Ian is enjoying the time he has left with his wife Mel and young son Archie and isn’t ready to give in the fight just yet.

“I’m reaching the business end of this disease where it doesn’t just have a functional impact, but it has a personal impact too.

“Overall, like Neale, I feel like I’m going strong. I feel like I’m going to be around for a lot longer hopefully.

“Until I can’t keep doing this anymore, I’ll keep doing it.”

What Dr.Ian Davis has been able to achieve in such a short period of time is nothing short of amazing.

The Daniher’s Drive capped off another successful initiative that is already making a positive change in the lives of many people.

With your help, the Cure for MND foundation can continue their great work well into the future, and hopefully one day stop ‘The Beast’ in its tracks.