Six months ago, the Menner family was hit with news that would have a huge impact on their lives.

Nicholas Menner was calling in to chat to his mother Gail one day while overseas when he noticed something had changed.

The usually articulate Gail was slurring her words.

“I was in Africa for about a year and I was ringing Mum for Christmas last year.  It was midmorning in Australia and Mum had a slur which I thought was a bit odd so I thought ‘what’s going on here?’” Nicholas said.

“It was when I came home for her 60th Birthday in February this year that I actually mentioned something, but she had already realised by that stage that something was up and her and my Dad had already started the process of working through what may be wrong.

“They do quite a lot of different testing before they diagnose Motor Neuron Disease (MND), but ultimately that’s what they came to.”

Up until her diagnosis, Gail had lived life to the full and she, along with her family, were adamant that MND was not going to change this.

After being diagnosed, Nick would take Gail on a six week trip around the world, exploring parts of the world she had never seen before. 

The trip wasn’t an attempt to tick something off Gail’s bucket list. Rather, it was to prove one can live a normal life and enjoy it to the fullest even while suffering from MND. 

Hailing from the small town of Goolwa in South Australia, located 100km south of Adelaide, the Menner family’s participation in the first leg of the Daniher's Drive was purely coincidental. 

Gail had planned to come to Victoria to visit some friends with husband Paul (who Nick describes as the larrikin of the family) and were set to pass through Warrnambool on their way. 

Nick had seen the Daniher's Drive advertised on TV and realised that they would both be in Warrnambool around the same time. 

From there,  a simple email would lead to family becoming a central part of the entire trip.

“I actually saw Neale talking about the drive on the Footy Show,” Nick said.

“I went on the website, saw the event in Warrnambool had sold out but still sent the foundation an email and explained Mum’s situation, not really expecting anything.

“Neale gave me a call the following Monday saying they’d make room for us at the dinner in Warrnambool  free of charge.”

Although the family are just beginning their journey with MND, they have been overwhelmed by the support they have received from their local community - something Nick attributes to the work Neale has done with the Cure for MND foundation in the last year.

“Dad manages the RSL back in Goolwa, so the family is well known to the local community,” Nick said.

“We had found out three days before Neale went on the Footy Show to talk about his battle that Mum had MND.

“After his appearance, people knew straight away what our situation was and we didn’t have to explain it over and over again which took away a lot of that pressure.

“People realising what it was all about and the awareness that was around helped us out a lot in dealing with it as a family.

“From that knowledge, our local football Club in Goolwa actually held a fundraising night for Mum where they raised $9000 and the main reason they did that was because they had been watching Neale on the Footy Show and were inspired to do something to help.

“It helped our family, but what really kick stated the idea was Neale on The Footy Show.” 

The Menners’ battle is far from over.

Each day presents a new challenge, but one they feel they are well equipped for thanks to the support of family, friends and the local community.

Gail, who is still active despite losing some of her ability to speak, remains positive and reassured thanks mostly to the support of loved ones. 

The Daniher’s Drive is aimed at supporting people just like the Menner’s. 

By making a small donation, you can help not only bring awareness to the disease, but also contribute to hopefully one day finding a cure for the cruel disease.