Families suffering from a cruel and debilitating disease have been given a bit of Christmas cheer thanks to Griffith Abruzzo Association.
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At a recent fundraising function, Griffith Abruzzo Association raised $4000 for the Griffith and District Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Support Group.
Michelle Vearing, president of the MND support group, explained how it had affected her family.
“When my mother was diagnosed with MND in 2007, there was no support group and no-one really knew about the disease,” Ms Vearing said.
“Mum passed away in 2008 and then my sister was diagnosed in 2011.”
Ms Vearing’s sister, Tania Magoci, founded the MND support group after she was diagnosed.
“Tania put together the group to help other local people,” Ms Vearing said.
“Through the group we found a number of people had MND in the community but hadn’t made it known to the wider public.
“Every patient of this cruel and debilitating disease experiences something different. It can affect the way you walk and talk, it can limit driving and the ability to dress yourself and in the last stages it can make it hard to breathe and swallow.”
The costs of treating MND can be quite high and the “cluster” of patients in the Griffith district meant there were lots of families who needed help.
“Coming up to Christmas, this $4000 will help us provide gift vouchers to families which will help make ends meet,” Ms Vearing said.
“We’ll also buy another lift chair and some walkers for patients.
“We provide support and equipment to help patients and their families through each stage of the disease.”
Abruzzo association president Dino Zappacosta said the group had been giving back to the community for about 50 years.
“We believe in giving back to the community who have helped the Abruzzessi so much,” Mr Zappacosta said.
“We raise money as and when required.
“We’re keen to support local charities.”
Hailing from central Italy, the Abruzzessi make up the third largest Italian group in Griffith.
“We raised more than $30,000 for the private hospital,” Mr Zappacosta said.
“We’ve also held fundraising functions for Post School Options, Riding for the Disabled and Can Assist.”
The MND support group supports carers and sufferers of MND in the region as well as raising awareness of the disease.
Researchers are continuing to look for a link to the high number of MND cases in the district – believed to be 10 times higher than the national average.
