- Matthew Stokes reveals the day he discovered his father had MND
- Father passed away from the disease in September of this year.
- Stokes is raising awareness for the FightMND campaign
Geelong Premiership-winning great Mathew Stokes has spoken about his father’s battle with motor neurone disease (MND) and the parties they threw for him before he died.
Stokes enjoyed a successful career with the Geelong Cats after joining in 2006 and played at small forward, playing a crucial role in their premiership-winning campaigns in 2007 and 2009 before retiring in 2015.
His father, John Stokes, was also a talented football player and was sadly diagnosed with MND last year.
John passed away in September of this year due to the disease, but he made it a priority to throw some parties before he died.
“At the end he was in a wheelchair and couldn’t move, but he didn’t want to avoid it,” Mathew told the Herald of the sun.
Stokes and his father John at a Geelong function. John was diagnosed with MND last year.
Stokes, who won two premierships with the Geelong Cats during his playing career, is telling his father’s story to raise awareness about MND.
“He wanted people to see him and remember him for who he really was, the happy, talkative man that he was. Dad never shied away from seeing people, especially at the end, he just wanted to tell one more story.
‘We had three farewell parties, one of them was his birthday and he didn’t want to give up any of them. He felt that every time he said goodbye to someone he was closer to the end.
“He cherished moments until the end with many of his teammates, people he grew up with and played a lot of football with and against.”
“I’ve heard more stories in the last six months with his teammates and him than I have in my entire life.”
John was extremely fit and active into his 70s, running three or four times a week and lifting weights at the back of his house in Darwin.
Then suddenly he started having trouble with his balance.
“I still remember the phone call like it was yesterday to receive the news that he had been diagnosed with MND,” Mathew said.
“It was a slap in the face to hear that and immediately my thoughts went to Neale (Daniher) and that this is something that is incurable, which was quite difficult to accept.”
Daniher is a former Essendon player and Melbourne coach who has become a leading advocate for MND awareness and funding.
Neale Daniher watches during the 2022 match between Collingwood and Melbourne, where the Big Freeze took place
After being diagnosed with MND in 2013, Daniher launched the FightMND campaign to support research and improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
Matthew said one of his father’s dying wishes was to help the Danihers with their campaign, and that’s what he’s doing.
“I remember sitting on the back of his porch and I said, ‘Dad, what do you want from me in this?’ he said.
“He just put me in front of his face because I obviously couldn’t turn my neck and said, ‘If the Danihers ask you to do something, say yes.’
“Dad knew he wasn’t going to win the fight, but eventually we’re going to win the war and hopefully we can honor Dad’s memory and the person and legacy of who he was by being a part of that.”
The Big Freeze is an annual event hosted by FightMND, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for MND.
The event, held on June 10 this year, sees high-profile personalities, including sports stars, celebrities and community leaders, slide into a frozen pool to raise awareness and funds for MND research.
Participants wear iconic blue hats, symbolizing support for those affected by the disease, while the event aims to highlight the challenges faced by people living with MND and raise vital funds for vital research initiatives.