Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this time to speak about a sobering yet important issue, motor neurone disease. Motor neurone disease is an extraordinarily horrific disease that slowly debilitates its sufferers as they experience muscle wastage that eventually leads to an inability to speak, to move, to swallow and, finally, to breathe. As a speech pathologist, I have vivid memories of helping sufferers to combat this insidious disease. This process of muscle wastage can often take years to debilitate, or it can aggressively move through symptoms. This devastating neurological disease affects around 2,000 Australians every year. There is no known cure for motor neurone disease at this time, but, by raising awareness of the horrible disease, we can move closer towards discovering a life-saving cure for those in need. That's why, on Monday this week, I chose to wear a blue cornflower to raise awareness of the cause and to show my support for those who are suffering right now. I hope many of my colleagues on all sides of the chamber will take the time to reflect on this illness and show support in all capacities possible.