Man living with motor neurone disease keeps his woodwork passion alive

It may be covered in sawdust, and a bit cold on a winter's day, but David Quill's workshop at his home near Mount Gambier is a place he loves.

After a working life spent in the timber industry, he has found a way to keep his passion alive at 78, despite the challenges of living with motor neurone disease.

"I've been creating things from complex furniture, right down to cutting boards, which only require one hand, for instance," he said.

"With the help of neighbours and friends I can continue to do that for quite some time yet, I hope."

Now he has started selling some of his work to raise money for and awareness of the debilitating disease.

A decade with MND

It was back in 2010 when Mr Quill noticed something wasn't quite right.

"I was walking through a paddock up in north Queensland, and I kept tripping over," he said.

"The guys I was travelling with were sort of laughing … and it's because I was dragging my feet."

Over the next few years, his condition developed before a diagnosis in 2012.

Mr Quill said hearing the prognosis, a life expectancy of less than three years, was "shattering".

"It's like being sentenced for murder, when you've never killed anyone,"

he said.

"Why me? What have I done wrong?"

Mr Quill has now been living with the illness for about 14 years, and while it has robbed him of his ability to walk and use of one of his arms, he is still able to use a motorised wheelchair to get around.

He credits his doctors, support agencies, and, most of all, his wife Lil for helping him on his journey.

"Her support has been immeasurable, it's just been fantastic," Mr Quill said.

While he kept working after his diagnosis, he now spends hours each day in his workshop in retirement.

"One of the hardest things was giving up flying airplanes," he said.

"Handing in my driver's licence wasn't much fun.

"We've been very fortunate with the amount of travel we've done, the job satisfaction I've had, the friends we've gained.

"You can still enjoy life but you enjoy different things."

Light in a dark situation

Mr Quill said he had tried to take a positive approach to his illness.

"You curl up in bed and shut your eyes, or you can say, 'Look I'm going to beat this thing,' not knowing if you are going to beat it," he said.

MND SA CEO Samantha Mead said there were plenty of costs, financially and emotionally, for people with MND.

"The costs of the physical supports are enormous. You're looking at the cost of two brand new cars in some cases," Dr Mead said.

"What we're unable to translate in terms of dollars is the cost to carers, the mental health of the patient and people around them.

"This is a devastating disease."

Dr Mead said, in the face of such challenges, it was hard for some people to be positive.

She encouraged people to reach out to organisations like MND SA for support.

"You have the biggest challenge of your life," she said.

"The best way you can approach that while looking after yourself as best as possible … is to try to live the best life you can possibly live while undergoing this horrible disease.

"The grace with which they handle this devastating disease is absolutely outstanding."

Reflecting on Neale's legacy

Mr Quill has started selling some of his handmade cutting boards in exchange for donations to help fight MND.

"I know it's not going to help me, but I hope there's some other poor bugger down the track who can benefit from it," he said.

"It's just rewarding to think you can assist.

"Unfortunately I can't compete with [former AFL footballer and motor neurone disease campaigner] Neale Daniher, but we try."

A fan of Daniher's old club Essendon, Mr Quill said he watched the former AFL player's battle with the disease over the years.

"There are so many different forms of MND," Mr Quill said.

"Neale lost the use of his voice, my voice has hardly deteriorated.

"Neale could still walk right to the end, whereas I haven't walked for eight years.

"I just hope that when he did pass he did so in a high level of comfort and with his friends around him."

Dr Mead said people such as Daniher and former NRL footballer Jai Arrow talking about their experience helped build awareness.

"I don't think there was any real understanding of what MND was, and Neale really put that on a national platform," she said.

"This can affect you at any time of your life, irrespective of your wealth or gender or age."

As for Mr Quill, he hopes one day people will find answers to the many questions about MND.

"People now understand more about this disease and they're doing as much as they can," he said.

"If any other person gets this diagnosis, you can say, 'I can last a month, I can last six months, or I can last 15 years.'

"I'm hoping to get to a lot more yet."

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