Zoe’s shave for MND

WE DID IT! ❤️ What an incredible achievement!

I’m still trying to take it all in… $7,600 raised to go towards MND research! 🙌🏼💙

This couldn’t have been achieved without YOU — my amazing family, friends, our community, and every single person who donated, supported, shared, encouraged and got behind me throughout the month of September.

I honestly can’t thank you all enough. Every donation, no matter how big or small, helped us get closer to making a difference in the fight against MND. 💙

And to everyone who came along to our raffle fundraiser on Sunday the 4th — THANK YOU! It was so much fun seeing so many familiar faces, having a laugh, enjoying the day and, of course, watching me take the plunge and complete my BIG SHAVE! 😂✂️

Looking around the room and seeing everyone there supporting me was something I’ll never forget. A photo might say a thousand words, but seeing everyone turn up, show their support and be part of this journey meant so much more to me than I can put into words.

This fundraiser was about so much more than raising money. It was about coming together as a community, supporting a cause that means so much, and knowing that together we really can make a difference.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. ❤️

Thank you for your donations.
Thank you for your support.
Thank you for your encouragement.
And thank you for believing in what we could achieve together.

$7,600 raised. One amazing community. One very big reason to be proud. 💙

I couldn’t have done it without you. 🙏🏼

#MND #MNDAwareness #MNDResearch #BigShave #Fundraiser #ThankYou

💙 What do we have to do?

Raising Awareness for MND

💙How great is it to see the growing awareness and support for Motor Neurone Disease (MND)?

Week after week, we are seeing people, sporting clubs and organisations getting behind the cause and helping shine a light on MND. From Senior and Junior sporting codes taking part in initiatives such as the Jai Arrow pose, to NSW as of the 1^st September, now recognising and reporting MND cases, the conversation around MND is becoming louder and more visible.

This growing awareness helps more people understand what MND is, the impact it can have on individuals and families, and why continued support and research are so important.

Most importantly, awareness brings us closer together. It helps us learn, understand and support those living with MND and the people around them.

Every conversation, every gesture and every show of support helps make a difference. 💙

The Strength of Community and Coming Together

Not just with MND, but any disease or diagnosis someone has, it is incredibly powerful when Communities come together. 

Whether it is a small group of friends, a workplace, a local community, an organisation or neighbours looking out for one another, every act of kindness matters.

Sharing the load, the education and simply the kindness can be all it takes. 

Listening without judgement, helping without fear and just being present is so important. 

What I love about our Community no matter what, everyone stands together, caring for one another and making sure that no one—whether they are living with a diagnosis or supporting someone they love—feels that they have to face it alone.

I hope my time in my Community I can help someone understand that all it could take is just asking a simple question like "How are you really going?" and then give them time to answer. 

What is MND ?

If you had asked me that two years ago, I probably would have said, “Umm… I really don’t know.”

Isn’t it just a disease that affects people in different ways? Some young, but mostly older people?

Take me forward those two years, and my answer is very different.

Yes, MND is a disease that can affect both young and old. But did you know it can affect more males than females? Did you know that more than 2,800 people were living with MND in Australia in 2025?

More than 2,800 families, relatives and friends whose lives are affected by MND.

And behind those numbers are so many more people—researchers, health professionals, volunteers, fundraisers, advocates, families and friends—fighting every day to raise awareness, support those living with MND, and, ultimately, help find a cure.

Two years ago, I barely knew what MND was.

Today, I know that behind those three letters are real people, real families and real stories. 

Lets keep fighting!

MND — What Does It Mean to Me?

Well, to tell you the truth, MND was never something I thought about very often.

As I mentioned previously, I have some experience in a caring situation, but my first real appreciation of what MND meant came when I attended an information session about 12 months ago. There, I had the opportunity to listen to several key speakers talk about MND — what it was, how it affected people, and just how differently it could impact each person and their families.

It was at that information session that I began to understand that MND was so much more than just a name I had occasionally heard in the news.

Everyone’s Story is different.

Working in community care has given me a deeper appreciation for the challenges people and their families face, and for the strength, resilience and courage that can be found in those journeys. 

Every person has a different story to tell. Every family has their own journey. And through the people I’ve had the privilege of caring for, I’ve learned that sometimes it’s the simple things — having someone listen, having a conversation, sharing a laugh, or simply being there — that can mean the most.