How Big Freeze beanies help the family of two-time Geelong Cats premiership star Matthew Stokes
Premiership winning Geelong champion Mathew Stokes has revealed the day he discovered his father was suffering from motor neuron disease [MND] ahead of today’s Big Freeze in Melbourne.
Stokes enjoyed a successful career with the Geelong Cats after joining in 2006, playing as a small forward, playing a vital role in their premiership winning campaigns in 2007 and 2009 before retiring in 2015.
The Big Freeze is an annual event hosted by FightMND, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for MND.
The event sees high-profile personalities, including sports stars, celebrities and community leaders, slide into an icy pool to raise awareness and money for MND research.
Participants will wear iconic blue beanies, symbolizing support for those affected by the disease, while the event aims to highlight the challenges faced by people with MND and raise vital funds for vital research initiatives.
Stokes and his father John at an event in Geelong. John has been diagnosed with MND, recognized today by the AFL in the annual Big Freeze
Neale Daniher looks on at the 2022 Collingwood v Melbourne match where the Big Freeze was held
Media Personality Samantha Armytage Participates in Big Freeze Ice Slide Fundraising Challenge Event for MND
The initiative has raised $69.3 million in funds for research and this year’s event will be held before today’s AFL clash between Melbourne and Collingwood.
Stokes wrote about how his family had been affected by writing MND The age.
“About 18 months ago, my dad, John, started falling over his feet and tripping,” he said.
‘That was unusual. He was a fit 70-year-old who ran and did weights three or four times a week at the back of his house in Darwin.
‘Still a larger than life figure at the Palmerston Magpies Football Club – a club he led up to the 1980-81 premiership when they were known as North Darwin – he was busy and lively and a character.
“We were obviously concerned, concerned that he might have had minor strokes, and the neurologist continued to look for an answer as to what was affecting the mobility in his legs.
‘Then almost four months ago I got a call from the neurologist, who brought the bad news. My father had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
“The first person I thought of was Neale Daniher.”
Daniher is a former Essendon player and Melbourne coach who has become a prominent advocate for awareness and funding for MND.
Stokes won two premierships with the Geelong Cats during his playing career, but his father’s diagnosis is his biggest battle to date
Darcy Moore of the Magpies poses for a photo with Neale and Bec Daniher during a FightMND at the Collingwood Magpies
After being self-diagnosed with ALS in 2013, Daniher launched the FightMND campaign to support research and improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
“Because of his FightMND campaign and the Big Freeze, I knew right away that MND was incurable,” said Stokes.
“I recognized right away that the illness Daniher had described as ‘The Beast’ had been lurking in Dad’s house for 18 months.
“The news hit like a bomb.”
Stokes said Daniher had given their family strength during their struggle. So is the blue hats for FightMND that will be in effect today.
Dad knows he won’t win this fight, but inspired by Daniher and his family and others affected by MND, he hopes his experience, whatever it may be, can pave the way a bit for the next person and family in our position. Stokes said.
‘While Dad’s diagnosis has narrowed my focus to family and work, the blue beanies that now adorn heads all over Victoria have not escaped my attention.
“Every time I see one, I draw strength from the thought that so many people want to support a cause trying to find a cure for a terrible disease. In the midst of the daily struggle, the hats make me smile.’