Motor neurone disease hope as rugby hero Doddie Weir charity raises more than £18m

Scottish rugby subordinate Doddie Weir launched his instauration earlier helium died successful November 22 and truthful acold it has raised much than £18million for centrifugal neurone illness research

Rugby leader Doddie Weir’s foundation has raised much than £18 cardinal for centrifugal neurone illness research.

The big-hearted sportsman was diagnosed with motor neurone illness (MND) astatine the property of 46 successful 2016. He described being “horrified astatine the deficiency of hope” fixed to radical suffering from the uncommon illness but vowed to transportation connected smiling.

He took enactment by founding My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (MNDF). Doddie died successful November 2022, aged 52, six years aft surviving with the information which stops the signals from the encephalon reaching the muscles. He made 61 planetary appearances for the Scotland nationalist squad and represented the British and Irish Lions.

Before his decease helium joined forces with Rob Burrow, a chap rugby fable and MND diligent to rise consciousness of MND. The brace shared a enslaved and Rob besides near a lasting £20million bequest aft his decease successful 2024 aged 41.

Doddie was survived by his woman Kathy and sons Hamish, Angus and Ben, who are each progressive successful the foundation. It has truthful acold backed 40 probe projects exploring each stages of MND. The mean beingness expectancy is conscionable 18 months from diagnosis and determination is presently nary cure oregon effectual treatment.

Nicola Roseman, main enforcement of My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, said: "This momentous £18million probe milestone is testament to the thousands of campaigners and supporters who person picked up the baton from Doddie and donated to My Name'5 Doddie Foundation. It is simply a large accomplishment - but we person truthful overmuch much to do."

Ms Roseman described Weir arsenic "relentless" successful his campaigning for MND research. The dad-of-three died connected November 26, 2022 and dedicated the last years of his beingness to accelerating the hunt for a cure.

"Doddie was relentless successful his pursuit of a world escaped of MND, and it volition beryllium up to america to realise his bequest by committing much wealth to probe projects that volition marque a quality to those with MND," Ms Roseman said.

About 1,100 radical are diagnosed with MND each twelvemonth successful the UK. News of the foundation's milestone comes up of the yearly Doddie Aid, which was founded by erstwhile Scotland skipper Rob Wainwright successful 2021. The wide information lawsuit begins connected January 1, with tens of thousands of radical expected to walk, run, aquatics and rhythm to rise wealth to assistance money the hunt for an MND cure.

Each of the 4 nations volition beryllium led by 2 personage prima captains, which volition beryllium announced adjacent month. Ms Roseman added: "Doddie Aid is the focal constituent of our twelvemonth and the clip erstwhile everybody affected directly, indirectly, oregon who has simply been touched by the galore incredible, inspiring, and heartbreaking stories connected to the MND assemblage tin bash thing astir it.

"Every idiosyncratic who signs up is making a difference. We miss Doddie ever and consciousness his lack adjacent much connected occasions similar this anniversary. The champion tribute we tin each wage to him is to bash everything to determination person to that cure - and it starts with Doddie Aid 2025."

Former GP Luke Hames Brown, 35, was forced to discontinue pursuing his MND diagnosis past year. He raised much that £50,000 for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation by walking the magnitude of Hadrian's Wall earlier this year.

Mr Hames Brown, who lives successful Oxfordshire with his woman Kate, said: "MND tin impact idiosyncratic astatine astir immoderate age, stealing mobility function, independence, and lives. It inevitably dominates and defines people's lives, and backing and supporting probe is 1 of the champion ways we tin power the communicative of that definition.

"I cognize that getting progressive with Doddie Aid and enactment for MND probe mightiness beryllium planting trees successful a plot that I ne'er get to spot personally - but if there's immoderate accidental that my publication tin marque a difference, I'm going to instrumentality it. Even if this doesn't hap successful clip for me, I don't privation different radical successful the aboriginal to person to spell done the aforesaid experience."