Shane was just 65 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of motor neurone disease (MND). He was forced to immediately stop work, but before his disease stole his ability to write or speak, he returned to writing his memoir, ‘Two Feet Off the Edge’.

‘For years, I had this dream stirring inside me – a book filled with stories and lessons from my journey through life,’ he said.

When Clinical Nurse Specialist Helen from our Community Palliative Care team heard about the project, she quickly offered help through The Dreams Program.

‘I was no longer able to talk, so my wife Julie asked if it was possible to get support with a book launch,’ wrote Shane at the time. ‘After reading the e-copy version of my book, Helen suggested help with funding the publishing costs too.’

Thanks to the generous spirit of people like you, we were able to make Shane’s dream come true.

Within weeks, 500 copies of his book were printed and over 60 people filled Shane and Julie’s home for the book’s launch. It was truly a day to remember.

‘I’m still in tears thinking about it,’ wrote Shane. ‘Thank you HammondCare, for making what seemed impossible, possible.’