Motor Neurone Disease - Laura's story

Farleigh Hospice is supporting Laura who has motor neurone disease (MND), a condition that affects the brain and nerves. It is caused by a problem with the body’s motor neurone cells that gradually stop working, causing weakness that gets worse over time.

We offer a range of care and support that helps our MND patients to manage their symptoms and achieve the best possible quality of life.

Laura explains the difference this has made to her and her family.

“Hi I’m Laura. I am 41 years old and married to the wonderful Terry. I have two fabulous step children – Ellie and Alex who are aged 23 and 19.

Unfortunately, in October 2022, I was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

I worked as a children’s Nanny up until last Christmas. My favourite hobbies are to spend quality time with my family and to make the most of the time I have left, to read and lose myself in books, to enjoy everything Disney-related and anything to do with Tudor history!

I am currently receiving support from Farleigh Hospice following my diagnosis. I will be honest and say I wasn’t fully aware of what Farleigh did apart from providing end of life care. When the professor at the London hospital gave me my diagnosis, he said he would put us in touch with Farleigh Hospice. I remember saying to him, ‘Isn’t Farleigh for end of life? Am I going to die really soon?’

I cannot recommend Farleigh Hospice enough - everyone is so friendly and I honestly feel like I have known them all forever. I seriously could not have asked for any more or any better support.

They have been able to source things for me quickly when needed and they helped us out with our housing situation when unfortunately, on the day I received my official diagnosis, our landlords gave us notice to leave. My dad had also passed away only a couple of months before so it seemed that everything was happening at once!

I truly believe, were it not for Farleigh Hospice, things wouldn’t look so bright and positive now. The monthly peer support group hosted by Farleigh’s MND Coordinator has been so beneficial to us as well.

It is nice knowing we are not alone to deal with this. I constantly tell everyone how wonderful Farleigh Hospice is and how, if it wasn’t for them and their support, I have no doubt that this would have got all on top of me and led to a breakdown.

The love and support truly means the world to us and they do not only offer support to myself but also to my husband and other family members that have found my diagnosis difficult to deal with.

A big thank you to you all for everything you do – you are all amazing!!”

Laura is pictured with our MND Co-ordinator, Joseph Giuseppe Franco who explains our co-ordinated approach and some of the services that we provide here

Download our MND leaflet