Silence speaks volumes!

A NORTHSIDE woman is calling on people to get involved in a campaign to raise vital funds for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA). 

Esther Tracey (58), from Portmarnock, a mother of three grown up daughters, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2013.

Esther is hoping that the IMNDA’s annual ‘Sponsored Silence’ campaign, which takes place throughout February, will not only highlight the illness but also raise funds to enable the association to continue to provide and expand its services.

“Funding for ongoing research is vital in finding a cure and the IMNDA support this also,” said Esther. 

“The ‘Sponsored Silence’ should give people who take part an idea of what it is like to have to communicate with their friends and colleagues by means other than speech. I hope people would have some fun trying it.”

Esther said that although she may have lost her swallow and speech to MND, it hasn’t dampened her appetite for life.

“The progressive symptoms which have left me without speech and swallow were daunting but with help from my family and friends I can communicate very well,” she said. “Every challenging step along the way has consistently brought out the fighter in me and the support of the IMNDA has helped me to maintain a positive attitude to keep fighting this.”

When asked was she always a positive person, Esther replied: “Yes, I think so. I have always been a glass half full type of person. This is a challenge I have to face and I don’t see I have a choice but to meet it head on and deal with it in the best way I can. The support of my family and friends is helping me to do this.”

Esther said that since her diagnosis she has adapted “very well” to speech and swallow loss.

“While I have not been able to continue working, I have been able to drive and live a reasonably normal life,” she stated.  

“I require some assistance but it’s not full-time. It is mainly my speech and swallow that is affected.”

Esther, who conducted this interview through email, said her illness came out of the blue and she had been healthy all of her life up until her diagnosis. 

“In October 2013, it began with a slight slurring of my speech and progressed gradually from there to full loss of speech and swallow,” she said.

Esther, who has a love of cooking, said she hasn’t missed out on anything in particular since her diagnosis. 

“I enjoy everything as I always have,” she said. “Being with friends and family has always been enjoyable for me and still is.”

IMNDA has played a very important role in helping Esther and others to cope with their illness. 

“The support offered is both practical and reassuring,” she added.

The IMNDA services include home visiting by a MND nurse; financial assistance to increase homecare packages once recommended by the MND nurse; and where a HSE home care package is already in place, the provision of specialist medical equipment on loan, free of charge, to its clients; and publications on MND. 

 •If you would like to take part in a Sponsored Silence to experience what life is like for Esther and others with MND, email [email protected] or call 1800 403 403 for a Sponsored Silence pack.

Also, you can spread the word on social media by using #Voice4MND and text MND to 50300 to donate €2 (100 per cent of text donations goes to IMNDA across most network providers. 

Some providers apply VAT which means a minimum of €1.63 will go to the IMNDA).