Honouring Lyndel’s legacy through volunteering: The Baldwin family’s story
A motor neurone disease (MND) diagnosis doesn’t just change one person’s life. It touches everyone who cares for them. This is something the Baldwin family knows very well. When their mother, Lyndel, was diagnosed with MND in October 2022 her children and their partners; Daniel and Liss, Carey and Cathryn, Paul and Rach, and Steph along with her 11 grandchildren, stood by her side throughout her battle with the Beast.
As she lived with MND, Lyndel’s family saw the things MND took away, not only from her, but from her whole family, her son Daniel explains.
“Mum lost so many opportunities because of MND. She wouldn’t see her family grow older. She couldn’t see or celebrate our successes. She couldn’t grow old gracefully. Motor neurone disease is a death sentence. The only thing it gave her was the knowledge that her life was going to end sooner than she ever imagined.”
Through all of this, Lyndel’s strength was unwavering, and the love and support of her family empowered her to keep fighting. Even after her passing, her resilience fuels their commitment to make sure no other family faces the same heartbreaking journey.
“Despite the challenges she faced, Mum’s courage and resilience shone through every day. Her unwavering spirit has left an indelible mark on our hearts and motivated all of us to do whatever we can to support research and raise awareness so that one day, no family has to endure what we did,” said Paul.
Daring to do by volunteering
For the Baldwin family, becoming Big Freeze volunteers is a way for them to honour their Mum’s legacy and reclaim a sense of purpose after MND took so much from their lives. It provides them with a meaningful way to channel their grief and frustration into action, giving them the chance to support others facing similar battles.
“Volunteering gives us the opportunity to fight back against MND. It helps transform the frustration and helplessness we felt as we watched Mum deteriorate into something empowering,” said Steph.
“Despite our grief and loss, we remain united and driven to take action against MND. Volunteering brings the family together to honour Mum’s experience and advocate for those facing similar challenges. She would have loved seeing us come together and give back in this way. She loved helping others and had an unquenchable empathy for those in need. This is our way of ensuring her legacy of helping others lives on.”
In encouraging others, Carey believes that volunteering is a significant way to contribute to a cause that benefits so many people.
“While asking for donations can be challenging and uncomfortable, the motivation to do so is simple. Raising awareness and funds for MND research can change lives and lead to a cure. Any anxiety we have about getting out there, pales into insignificance when you compare it to what those fighting MND are going through. That keeps us motivated to carry on in Mum’s memory.”
Volunteer for Big Freeze 11 and make a difference in the fight
The Big Freeze wouldn’t be the same without our amazing volunteers! Thanks to their dedication, we can continue to invest in vital MND research as well as programs to support those living with MND.
Want to get involved? We’d love for you to live it forward for those who can’t and volunteer with us during Big Freeze 11! By becoming a volunteer, you’re helping FightMND work towards its vision of a world free from MND. Your support makes a huge difference!
Curious about what’s involved? Head to our Volunteering page to discover how your time and effort can help drive the fight against MND. We’re excited to have you join the team and live it forward for those in the fight against MND during Big Freeze 11!