TWO years ago, Janet Hough was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), a progressive and currently incurable condition which affects the nerves controlling voluntary muscles.
Her diagnosis began with lower limb weakness and has since progressed to the point where Janet requires a walker and is unable to move either leg below her knees.
The disease causes nerves to become damaged and start to die, which causes muscles to weaken and waste away. It progresses at various rates in different people, but the average life expectancy is two to three years from diagnosis. “I think any diagnosis where there is no cure is a big change to your whole life and your whole family’s life,” Janet said.
Following her diagnosis, Janet retired from her position as a physiotherapist but has refused to let her diagnosis get in the way of living life to the fullest. “Retirement looks a lot different to what my husband and I anticipated because we’ve both been very active people throughout our lives,” she said. “We’re still doing as much as we can, but it’s obviously a different path to what we had envisioned.”
Janet is now on a mission to spread awareness and help others who have been diagnosed with MND. This October, Janet and her husband, Peter, are organising Walk for a Cause, a community fundraising and awareness event. “It’s another way that the MND community can bring their family and friends together and support each other,” she said. “We’re not super focused on fundraising, we’re more focused on journeying together.”
The walk will take place at Mornington Park on October 5 and will begin with a short opening from Cr Paul Pingiaro. It will include a 900-metre loop, which participants are welcome to walk as many times as they like.
The event is supported by Mt Martha Uniting Church and any proceeds from the day will go to MND Victoria, the only non-profit organisation in Victoria that provides support and care to those living with motor neuron disease.
Janet’s involvement with MND Victoria began shortly after her diagnosis. She recognised the need for connection between those affected by the disease and, with MND Victoria’s support, began a support group for people living near or on the Mornington Peninsula.
“There was not a lot of opportunities for people with MND to get together, and I felt like it was important to journey with other people with MND,” she said. “It’s a valuable way of people connecting and sharing their journeys together.”
Janet wants to help people understand the disease and recognise that it is a different experience for each person diagnosed. “MND teaches us that life is fragile,” she said. “I want to see people living with MND, making the most of everyday, and doing things that bring joy.”
This event is an opportunity for people to come together to support Janet and others diagnosed with MND and learn more about the disease. You can find more information and buy tickets for the event here: www.mnd.org.au/events/334/walk-for-a-cause-mornington-2025
First published in the Mornington News – 30 September 2025
