{"id":322096,"date":"2026-02-28T16:40:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T16:40:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/322096\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T16:40:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T16:40:07","slug":"i-have-a-lot-to-live-for-and-i-will-never-give-up-woman-shares-battle-with-mnd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/322096\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I have a lot to live for and I will never give up’- Woman shares battle with MND"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association<\/a> (IMNDA) is inviting people across Ireland to put the kettle on and host a tea party this March as part of its annual \u2018Drink Tea for MND\u2019 campaign, one of the charity\u2019s biggest fundraising events of the year.<\/p>\n

Supporters are encouraged to sign up at\u00a0www.drinkteaformnd.ie<\/a>\u00a0and host a tea party, big or small, during March or any time that suits them. <\/p>\n

Every cup shared will help raise vital funds to support more than 470 families in Ireland currently living with Motor Neurone Disease.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s campaign ambassador is Lorraine Kelly Donnelly (51) from Dublin, who was diagnosed with MND in July 2025. <\/p>\n

Lorraine, a wife to Cormac and Mum to Simon (18) and Dylan (14), is sharing her story to encourage others to get involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the 30th of July 2025 our lives changed forever,\u201d Lorraine said. \u201cFinding out that I had Motor Neurone Disease had a devastating effect on all of us. It was not the news we were expecting and there is still so much we don\u2019t know about what lies ahead. But we are taking one day at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lorraine describes the immense support she has received from both the IMNDA and from the MND team in Beaumont Hospital since her diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe support and guidance have been invaluable to me and my family. I am determined to keep living my life; going to rugby matches with my younger son, gigs with my older son and my sisters, and continuing to work. I will continue to fight MND for as long as I can. I have a lot to live for and I will never give up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lorraine, who\u00a0works in Supply Chain in the Biopharma sector, has also volunteered for clinical trials. \u201cIf I can help in any small way to understand this illness more, and support even one person in the future, it will be worthwhile,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

READ NEXT:\u00a0Big boost for Waterford GAA club as permission granted for 200-seater stand – Waterford Live<\/a><\/p>\n

This year, the campaign is also shining a light on the vital role of IMNDA\u2019s specialist neurology nurses, who provide expert care and practical support to families in their homes across Ireland.<\/p>\n

Charlene, a specialist neurology nurse for the IMNDA supporting patients in Donegal and surrounding counties, sees firsthand the impact of community fundraising.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day I travel to help care for people and families living with MND and I see exactly how much a cup of tea can really mean and the comfort it can bring.<\/p>\n

\u201cMND is a difficult, life-limiting disease, and it can all happen so fast. One day and one diagnosis, and everything changes. As nurses visiting people in their homes, we see the impact this has on families. But because of the public\u2019s support, we can be there. That means providing regular home visits, care, and guidance when it\u2019s needed most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funds raised through Drink Tea for MND help ensure families across Ireland have access to specialist nursing care, practical supports, equipment, advocacy services and guidance at every stage of their journey.<\/p>\n

How to get involved:
\u00a0Hosting a Drink Tea for MND event is simple:<\/p>\n

Sign up at\u00a0www.drinkteaformnd.ie<\/a>
\n Choose a date in March (or shortly after)
\n Invite friends, family, neighbours or colleagues
\n Put the kettle on, share some treats, and ask for a donation<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a kitchen table gathering, a school bake sale, an office tea break, or a community event, every event makes a difference.<\/p>\n

Lorraine sums up the impact of campaigns like this one: \u201cIf you\u2019re thinking about hosting a tea party, please do it. Your support means families like mine don\u2019t have to face this alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

To register or learn more, visit\u00a0www.drinkteaformnd.ie<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) is inviting people across Ireland to put the kettle on and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":322097,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60,6513],"class_list":["post-322096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-waterford"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=322096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}