When my husband David was dying, Neale Daniher offered us more than just hope

May 31, 2026 — 3:00am

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When my husband was dying of motor neurone disease, a tradie turned up at our house to carry out a minor repair. He was a big guy, stocky, and on his head was a grubby Big Freeze beanie. I started seeing beanies at the supermarket, on people going for a walk on a cold day. It raised our spirits just a little to know that people had bought something as ordinary as a beanie to raise funds to research this disease, that they even knew about MND.

That was because of Neale Daniher, a talented footballer and later AFL coach who was diagnosed with MND in 2013. He died on Monday, aged 65. There was much that was remarkable about Daniher, including that he lived with this disease for 13 years. Average life expectancy is two to three years. It is 100 per cent fatal – there are no survivors to be its champions; few around long enough to raise awareness. But when my husband David was ill, Daniher was there, and somehow we felt he would always be there, fighting “the beast”, reminding us that “life doesn’t promise to be fair” but it could continue to be worthwhile. Everyone knew MND would take Daniher, but when it happened many of us still felt heartbroken.

When you’re diagnosed with a terminal disease, or caring for someone who is, it is inevitable that you review your own life and choices, that you wonder about........

© WA Today