In June, Strathbogie came together for a dinner to honour a beloved member of the community.
Strathbogie local Jane Broughton was an avid advocate and fundraiser for research into motor neurone disease, while having the disease herself.
When she passed, her parents organised the fundraising dinner, hoping to raise money to immortalise her name and legacy.
By the end of the night, over 100 guests had arrived to celebrate Jane’s life, and a whopping $120,000 was raised — the largest amount in MND Victoria’s 40-year history.
“MND is an awful disease, where you don’t know about it until it’s too late, and then all you can do is try to enjoy the time you have,” Colin Broughton, Jane’s husband, said.
MND affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that tell your body what to do.
As these neurons degenerate and die, muscles become weaker and weaker, eventually leading to paralysis.
“When Jane was in hospital, she really wanted to come home, be in her environment with her little dog,” Mr Broughton said.
“We didn’t have any support equipment, but MND Victoria’s delivery van arrived the same night as when I brought Jane home, to provide us with the equipment we needed.”
MND Victoria’s equipment loan service provides people living with MND with assistive equipment at no cost to them.
Without this service, many people such as Jane would not be able to comfortably stay at home with their loved ones.
Delivery vans play a vital role in this service, but up until recently, there was only one.
“Our world-class equipment service is our crown jewel in support services, providing vital support equipment to more than 500 people living with MND across Victoria, at no cost to them,” MND Victoria head of community engagement Daniel Woodrow said.
“We’ve had one van for a while now, but to keep up with demand, we’ve been hiring a second van.
“Thanks to the Broughtons, we now have this beautiful van to help us make sure everyone with MND in Victoria has timely access to the equipment they need.
“We’re very thankful to the Broughton family, the Strathbogie community and everyone else involved in making this possible.”
Mr Broughton said the family never expected such an amazing outcome.
“When we started talking about a fundraiser for MND Victoria, my goal was only to raise about $30,000 and to get something small to have Jane’s name on it and honour her legacy,” he said.
“Jane was hugely involved in the community, and an active fundraiser herself, so seeing the new equipment delivery van, with her name front and centre, is extremely special and fitting for the type of person Jane was.
“It’s extraordinary to see where that money has gone, and to know that this van is going to help families all around Victoria.
“The support from the Strathbogie community, the $120,000 raised, the response from MND Victoria and now this van dedicated to Jane — it’s been an unbelievable journey."
MND affects around 520 Victorians. To support the work that MND Victoria does, visit mnd.org.au/ways-to-give