Play On
The footy hero. The tennis champ. The nurse. They’re three extraordinary people all determined to play their part to defeat an insidious, killer disease that claims two Australians every day. Motor Neurone Disease. Footy fans know Neale Daniher as AFL royalty. He was a champion player and has forged an enduring career as coach and a behind-the-scenes figure at a number of AFL clubs. But he’s also become one of the fiercest campaigners for research into a disease without a cure. Neale was diagnosed with MND in 2013 and wasted no time putting the energy he displayed on the footy field into fighting to find a cure. Alongside Neale is former tennis pro Ange Cunningham, who has been stricken by the disease as well. Despite it leaving her trapped in an immobile body, she still summons an amazing resolve to get on with what remains of her life with humour, love and a complete absence of self-pity. Joining Neale and Ange on the frontline in the battle to beat MND is Cath Baker, a former intensive care nurse who’s been caring for Ange. Together they share a resolve to help researchers uncover the cause of MND and find a cure. Neale’s defying the odds, living longer than he should and using that precious time to help unlock the secrets behind MND. For the past month, Sunday Night has been welcomed into the Daniher family’s day-to-day life and inside the world of Ange Cunningham and her family. We found two amazing people who have no time for sadness, whose families celebrate every new day and whose approach to MND is uplifting and inspirational. We were also there for the day Neale feared he’d never live to see – the marriage of his eldest daughter. As Sunday Night’s Melissa Doyle discovered, Neale Daniher is making sure the final quarter of his life will be his finest. As he encounters sufferers across Australia he gives them a hug and encourages them and their loved ones to Play On. But as we’ll discover in this very special Sunday Night report,
