Disease is cruel blow for Sarah

ONLY five years after losing her mother to Motor Neurone Disease, an Oak Flats Mother of two is locked in her own battle with the terminal disease.

After losing her uncle, grandmother, two aunts and cousin to the debilitating illness, 25-year-old Sarah Turk (nee Yerbury) has now also been diagnosed with the hereditary disease.

Attacking the upper and lower motor neurones, Motor Neurone Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to weakness and wasting in the muscles, causing increasing loss of mobility in the limbs as well as difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.

One of only "a couple" of Motor Neurone Disease hereditary families in Australia, Mrs Turk's sister, Naomi Yerbury, said the latest diagnosis had been a cruel blow for the family.

"It is devastating," she said.

"Sarah has a two and a three-year-old and now she has to go through this. It is like little bombs keep going off throughout our family.

"We all know what is going to happen, it is just a matter of us all preparing for the fight ahead."

Now under the watchful eye of a neurologist at Concord Hospital, it is anticipated Mrs Turk will soon require specialist treatment and equipment, both coming at a high monetary cost, while the family must also alter her house to make it more wheelchair accessible.

With this in mind, the Yerbury's have rallied around their sister and are preparing to hold a fundraising event at Shellharbour Workers' Club in November in a bid to ease the financial burden on the young family.

"The fundraiser will aim to assist Sarah and her family with these emerging expenses, as well as allowing her husband Jayson to work part-time and help care for Sarah and the children," Mrs Yerbury said.

"Jayson has been fantastic so far, but we are hoping to raise enough money to enable him not to have to work as much because Sarah will be needing more and more support.

"There is a Motor Neurone Association but, depending on how many people have the disease in NSW at once, they may not be able to provide us with any equipment.

"We may be forced to buy wheelchairs and that sort of thing and even a hoist to get in and out of bed with."

Mrs Yerbury is approaching businesses for donations to raffle and auction on the night of the fundraiser and is hoping the event will draw a large crowd. More than 500 seats will be available for the night.

If anyone wishes to either make a donation towards the November 10 event or book a table they can do so by contacting either Naomi Yerbury on 0422 645 399 or 4297 8113 or Sheree Smith on 4237 5117 or 0414 593 244.