Prior to taking his final breath, Dr Ian Davis posted to Facebook one last time, sharing his 'final moment' with his son. Photo / Facebook
Prior to taking his final breath, Dr Ian Davis posted to Facebook one last time, sharing his 'final moment' with his son. Photo / Facebook
The man who started the extraordinary campaign to raise funds and awareness for motor neurone disease has posted a heartbreaking photo with his son in what was his final hours.
FightMND campaigner Dr Ian Davis, 40, urged supporters to continue the fight for the cause as medical teams prepared to turn off his life support this morning.
Dr Davis continued to use social media until today as family gathered by his bedside, The Herald Sun reports.
"Today I say farewell," he said in a final post.
"Thank you everyone for all the support, love, and compassion over the years during my fight. It has been some ride. I will leave this broken body with a full heart. Please tell my boy I love him and I'm so proud to be his dad. This photo taken yesterday is our final moment together."
The campaign to raise awareness and funding for the disease that robs sufferers of all movement and speech was first started by MND Victoria but accelerated after Dr Davis launched the Fight MND campaign with the help of co-founder Pat Cunningham and footy legend Neale Daniher.
The FightMND campaign has raised more than $40 million in four years.
In 2011, at the age of 33, Dr Davis was diagnosed with MND and has dedicated his time since his diagnosis fundraising critical dollars to commit to research and drug development to find a cure, assistive care initiatives for patients with MND and growing greater awareness of the disease in the community.
His medical background and experience enabled him to provide the foundation with significant knowledge and expertise in the medical science environment, achieving positive progress and development in the quest to find a suitable treatment and cure for MND.
Dr Ian Davis with his wife Melissa Yang and young son. Photo / The Giving Network
FightMND chairman, Bill Guest, said Dr Davis' significant contribution to research into Motor Neurone Disease will leave a lasting legacy.
"Since the Foundation was established following Ian's own diagnosis, his tireless work, passion and commitment to the ongoing fight to find a cure has impacted and inspired people affected by MND worldwide.
"Among his many achievements was the creation of the inaugural Australasian Motor Neurone Disease Symposium in March 2018, attracting over 400 delegates from around the world, who all assembled with the joint intent to create a world free from MND," Guest said.
"Without Ian Davis' vision, FightMND would not have been founded and we would not have been able to progress as far and as quickly as we have in medical research for MND.
In 2014, he co-founded FightMND, an organisation that raised $40million towards research. Photo / Facebook
"Ian's dedication to the fight against MND continued until his final days ensuring in his absence the same rigour will be applied to the pursuit of the most promising research.
"All the people affected by the disease, be they patients, families, carers and
researchers, have a great deal to thank Ian for."
• To donate directly to Dr Davis' family see 'Help put me in the ground' donation page. To help find a cure, support Fight MND.
• In New Zealand charity walks will take place across the country on Sunday, November 11. The walks will raise money for MND research and support services.
