A FERMANAGH woman has bravely spoken out about how Motor Neurone Disease (MND) has greatly impacted her mother’s health and her family’s life.

She also wants to raise greater awareness of the disease.

Laura Browne (30), from Enniskillen, spoke to The Impartial Reporter about her mum, Maureen (63) who was diagnosed with MND last year.

Speaking on Maureen’s life with the disease, Laura said: “Mum has lost the ability to walk, talk, eat and swallow. Her personality has drastically changed, and she has lost the ability to make decisions for herself. With MND, messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste.

“MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink, and breathe.”

She continued: “Some people also experience changes to their thinking and behaviour. MND is life-shortening, and there is no cure. Although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life.”

Maureen received her diagnosis of the disease in March, 2020, but spent some time trying to get a final answer for what her condition was.

Laura said: “We had a lot of trouble getting mum diagnosed as doctors did not know what was wrong. They told me it might be Alzheimer’s, they told us it could be a stroke.

“We eventually got sent to Neurology by a fantastic doctor in Lakeside Medical Practice, who pinpointed the signs. From there, we have been in the Neurology department in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.”

Maureen and Laura had been active in the community through their music business, Jo Jingles.

As Maureen’s condition deteriorated over time, Laura grew concerned. She said: “Mum was still working full-time and driving when her symptoms first started.

“She was tired all the time, and sometimes was confused. Her personality started to change. Mum was always the life and soul of the party and she became very quiet and withdrawn. Her mobility started to weaken, and her appetite declined, and she needed more help with day-to-day activities.”

Laura decided to have a fundraiser to raise awareness of the disease and to help her family.

She said: “I chose to do the fundraiser for The MND Association as not enough people have awareness of MND. I had never really heard of it, to be honest. I think I knew Steven Hawking had something similar, but I never knew the full story.

“I also wanted to raise funds for my own mum, who badly needs medical equipment and a wet room as she has not been able to shower at home in more than a year. We have to travel to her sister’s house, which is a bungalow, a few miles away just to wash.”

Laura held an online fundraiser, with the final totals raised coming in at £5,357 raised via online donations, with cash donations coming in at £200. Some £3,000 will be used to purchase a wet room for Maureen, and The MND Association will receive £2,287.