Thank you for your support.

We urgently need your assistance to provide cough assistance machines to people living with MND across NSW, the ACT and NT. Your donation will give people facing MND the assistance they desperately need to be with their loved ones longer - and every moment counts when you are battling a disease with no cure.

A single cough assistance machine costs $10,000, or up to $600 per month to rent - unfortunately often well beyond the financial means of those who need it. Without MND NSW loaning this equipment free of charge or as part of an NDIS plan, people living with MND are at risk of lung infections, choking, and early death.

Stephanie van Hilten has been a respiratory physiotherapist for 34 years, working in many areas of the cardiothoracic specialty - intensive care, surgical, cardiac, rehabilitation, sleep and neuromuscular disorders. In 2021 she moved solely into the community space where she sees patients in her clinic and in their homes - many of those home visits are to people living with motor neurone disease.

Stephanie has seen first-hand the difference that a cough assistance machine can make to people living with MND.

“I asked one of my ladies living with MND how her access to a cough assist device has impacted her. She told me she felt if she hadn't been using a cough assist device for the past year, that she would not still be alive today. She is a single parent with four daughters, so every day with her beautiful children is precious. She has NDIS funding which has assisted in the cost involved in hiring this device, without that funding, her access to the device would be difficult and this may well have affected her longevity.”

“A cough assist device is life-changing for those with MND who struggle with secretions. Imagine having secretions and not being able to clear them. A constant feeling of choking,” she said.

“To have access to a cough assist device can be life-changing and life extending. Some people using a cough assist device may need to use this device 6 or more times a day to clear retained secretions. Just one day without clearing those secretions can lead to a life threatening lung infection.”

“Supporting this appeal will help to provide access to vital equipment that can help improve the quality and duration of a person living with MND. This disease is cruel and those affected struggle on a daily basis. Anything that helps to improve their function, extend their life and ease that struggle in any way should be accessible to all regardless of age and funding.”

With your help, we can ensure people who are experiencing MND can get the equipment they need.

Find out why cough assistance machines are so important for people living with MND here.