Yarrabilba parkrun

My vollie shoutout post.

An unseasonally warm morning for event #604 and 73 smiling finishers can attest to that. Best part was you got your 5k fix done n dusted.
We welcomed 4 First Timers to the parkrun universe along with 8 parkrun tourists chasing their "Y", hope you enjoyed our course and we see you back again very soon.
12 finishers enjoyed it so much they got themselves a PB. Enjoy that PB Buzz, because you now have a new time to chase down.
We also celebrate a special milestone as Miriam Troy completed her 50th parkrun as well as volunteering.
Of course all this just doesn't happen without the work of our parkrun legends, so give it up for my vollie crew....
With a special shoutout to Tania Drummond and Ava Finlay for jumping in to help with the finish line fun.
Melanie STUMER - Timekeeper 🤩
Zeta BLACKBURN - Finish Tokens 🤩
Ava FINLAY - Finish Tokens 🤩
Tania DRUMMOND - Event Day Course Check & Barcode Scanning 🤩🤩
Brooke STAFF - First Timers Welcome & Barcode Scanning 🤩🤩
Sharyn MCCLISKIE - Tail Walker 🤩
Miriam TROY - Tail Walker 🤩 50 parkruns😍
Tenille BRIMSON - Token Sorting 🤩
If you would like to get the warm inner glow of helping your parkrun community, get involved when you see a vollie shoutout.
Have a great week, and your RD for Pacer week is perfect Pete Burns.
SR1 out.

Left behind this morning, believe it belongs to Roland Fearnley.
It will remain in our kit for next week.

Happy parkrunday eve (formerly known as Friday).
And what beautiful weather we had today, and expecting the same for your 5K fix.
We have a happy RD because I have a full roster of Yarrabilba parkrun LEGENDS, who will be on hand to help you achieve your very best.
But don't stop reading now, all the important bits are yet to come.
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🧥 Got gear?
Jumpers, keys, drink bottles and other bits and pieces can be left on the table to the left of the briefing area.
🙌 Volunteers
We have a full volunteer roster ready to go this week (thank you, legends!), but we're always looking ahead to future weeks. If you've been thinking about volunteering, take a look at the volunteer rosters on the RD table (to the right) and see where you might be able to pop your name down.
We'd especially love to encourage some first-time volunteers to give it a go! Every role is simple, there's plenty of support, and it's a great way to give back to the parkrun community. Remember, parkrun only happens because of volunteers. Better still, there are several roles you can do and still complete your run or walk!
🐕👶 A couple of reminders
• Dog OR pram — not both.
• Dogs must be on a short, handheld, non-retractable lead at all times.
• Please bring poo bags and help keep our course clean and enjoyable for everyone.
👋 First Timers
If tomorrow is your first visit, or your first time at our event, please attend the First Timers Briefing at approximately 6:45–6:50am. The course sounds far more complicated than it actually is, and the briefing will make everything nice and easy.
🔔 PB Bell Alert!
The cooler months are often PB season, and we've already seen plenty of personal bests tumbling lately!
Before you head out on course tomorrow, take a quick look at your current PB and see what you're chasing. Whether you're aiming to shave off a few seconds or smash through a long-standing goal, we love seeing everyone challenge themselves.
And if you do happen to crush your PB tomorrow, don't forget to give the PB Bell a mighty ring on your way through! Nothing beats celebrating your achievements with the parkrun community.
⏰ Morning Timeline (approximate)
6:40am – Volunteers arrive
6:45am – First Timers Briefing with Brooke;
6:50am – Main Event Briefing
7:00am – Timekeeper Mel yells "PARKRUN!!!"
See you in the a.m.
SR1

Good evening Yarrabilba parkrunners.
This week we have celebrated the achievements of 2 of our parkrun family.
We’d now love to share the battle of another of our Yarrabilba parkrun family.
Aaron and Bec Reardon joined the parkrun universe in 2022, with their beautiful family they embraced the parkrun lifestyle and what it offered.
Unfortunately Aaron has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Please read Bec’s account of their struggle to have a request fulfilled for surgery.
Theirs is a wish to be heard for themselves and others in the same situation.
PLEASE SIGN THE E-PETITION.



https://www.facebook.com/share/19TGimah4X/

Please help tell Aaron’s story and create change for people living with MND and their families. Sign the petition to make your voice heard.

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/petition-details/4657-26

Father of Three Fighting MND Denied Life-Extending Procedure by Brisbane Hospital

My husband Aaron is only 47 years old.

He's a father of three beautiful children—Andie (15), Charlee (13) and Hunter (10).

Just over two years ago he was living a normal, active life. He worked a physical job, played sport with the kids, laughed constantly and planned for the future like every other family.

Then, out of nowhere, his speech became slurred.

A few months later we heard the words that shattered our world.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Since then, this disease has taken almost everything from Aaron. It has stolen his strength, his independence and, most heartbreakingly, his voice.

But it has not taken away his ability to think.

It has not taken away his right to make decisions about his own life.

And it should never take away his right to choose how he wants to live the time he has left.

By the middle of 2025, Aaron's breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.

At the Princess Alexandra Hospital MND Clinic, we began discussing the next stage of his care.

The options included medication, BiPAP ventilation and a tracheostomy.

We were told a tracheostomy was controversial. Some doctors discouraged it, saying there was little quality of life and that it placed enormous pressure on carers.

But they also encouraged us to go home, research it ourselves, watch videos, speak to people living with MND and make an informed decision.

So that's exactly what we did.

For more than six months we attended clinic appointments, specialist consultations and home visits.

We researched relentlessly.

We found families all over the world living meaningful lives after a tracheostomy. People like Brian Jeansonne and Steve Gleason openly share their lives online, showing that while MND is devastating, a tracheostomy can provide precious extra years with loved ones. In many countries this treatment is routinely offered to suitable MND patients because it prolongs life.

After months of research, questions and discussions, Aaron made his decision.

He wanted the surgery.

Not because he thought it would cure him.

Because it would give him more time.

More birthdays.

More Christmases.

More moments with his children.

The moment that cemented Aaron's decision happened on his birthday.

Our three children were crowded into our bedroom opening presents, reading cards and laughing together. Charlee had filled her card with terrible dad jokes.

One joke made Aaron laugh so hard that he couldn't breathe.

He began choking, coughing and vomiting.

Within seconds our beautiful family moment turned into complete panic.

The children had to be rushed from the room while Aaron fought for every breath.

That was the day Aaron realised he couldn't keep living like this.

On 18 March this year, Aaron told his MND team he wanted to proceed with the tracheostomy.

After months of discussions, everyone was on the same page and happy to move forward with his care plan.

We were referred to specialists.

We were connected with professionals to organise equipment and aftercare.

We were told we would likely receive a surgery date within six weeks.

One Queensland Health staff member even smiled and said to Aaron, "I'll be seeing you again now you'll be around a lot longer."

Those words gave our family hope. For the first time in a long time, we felt like we could breathe.

Then everything changed.

On 16 April I received a phone call from Aaron's NDIS coordinator asking why Queensland Health had instructed her to stop all preparations for Aaron's tracheostomy.

That was the first we had heard about it.

I immediately contacted the MND team.

I was told:

"This decision is bigger than Aaron."

Suddenly, after more than six months of planning, discussions and signed paperwork, everything was placed on hold.

The language changed too.

It was no longer Aaron's treatment plan.

It became "Aaron's request."

But it wasn't a request.

It had already become part of his planned care.

We were told everything had been paused while the hospital reviewed its procedures.

Aaron now needed psychology assessments.

Social work assessments.

More waiting.

We were told it would take four weeks.

We accepted that.

We followed every instruction.

Then the appointments never came.

When I chased them up they were finally booked.

The day before they were due to happen, the psychologist personally called me to apologise.

She had received a one-line email cancelling everything.

No explanation.

No new date.

Nothing.

Weeks turned into months.

Our emails went unanswered.

Phone calls weren't returned.

We were later informed that Queensland Health staff and treating clinicians had been instructed not to communicate with us about Aaron's case.

Aaron sat waiting while his disease continued to progress.

Finally, after forcing a response, a hospital executive called us.

We were told Princess Alexandra Hospital would not perform tracheostomies for patients with MND.

Not because of Aaron's individual circumstances.

Because of a blanket policy.

The reasons given were:

• Poor quality of life.

• High risk.

• Hospital resources.

How do you tell a father of three that spending more time with his children isn't a good use of resources?

Who gets to decide what quality of life means?

Because it shouldn't be hospital executives.

It should be Aaron.

To Aaron, quality of life means watching his children grow up.

Being there to see them going to drive a car and graduate high school.

Holding his family's hands for as long as possible.

That is quality of life.

Sadly, this isn't the first time Aaron has been failed by the health system.

For months Aaron complained of severe calf pain.

We repeatedly asked for help but were told it was "just the MND."

It wasn't.

Aaron had blood clots in his legs.

Those blood clots eventually travelled to his lungs, causing a massive saddle pulmonary embolism that nearly took his life.

It took two visits to the emergency department before anyone took us seriously.

The first time, at Logan Hospital, Aaron was struggling to breathe.

After very little investigation we were told it was simply the progression of his MND.

When I questioned whether everything was being blamed on his diagnosis instead of being properly investigated, I was told, "You need to get used to the progressiveness of the disease."

By the second emergency admission Aaron was actively dying.

Only then were further tests performed, revealing the life-threatening pulmonary embolism.

A simple scan showed just how serious his condition was.

Had his legs been assessed months earlier, this may have been prevented.

Aaron now lives with ongoing complications that could have been avoided.

The only positive to come from this experience is that MND patients at the Princess Alexandra Hospital are now routinely assessed for blood clots because of Aaron's case.

No family should have to come that close to losing someone before change happens.

Now we are facing the same prejudice again.

If Aaron had COPD, a tracheostomy would be offered to relieve breathlessness, manage secretions and improve comfort.

That is exactly what we are asking for.

The only difference is Aaron's diagnosis.

He is being denied treatment because he has Motor Neurone Disease.

We believed completing Aaron's Advance Health Directive would ensure his wishes were respected.

Instead, we've been told by Queensland Health staff that even if Aaron clearly states he wants this intervention, it may still be refused because it is not considered "best practice” in Australia, how are we so far behind?

The only alternative is to pay privately—something that is simply out of reach for most Australian families.

What makes this even harder to understand is that this surgery is performed around the world.

People with MND live for years after receiving a tracheostomy.

There are Australians already living this reality.

Andy Taylor, who lives in Brisbane with MND and a tracheostomy, is living proof that people with MND can continue to live meaningful lives after the procedure.

Garry Alexander, a farmer from Roma, received a tracheostomy at Toowoomba Hospital in 2012.

That procedure allowed him almost an extra decade watching his family grow.

Had he attended the Princess Alexandra Hospital, he would have never have been offered that life-extending treatment.

How can a diagnosis alone determine whether someone receives life-extending treatment?

This isn't just about Aaron.

It's about the thousands of Australians living with MND who deserve the same choices and dignity as people living with other life-limiting illnesses.

We are grateful that awareness of MND continues to grow and that researchers are working tirelessly towards a cure.

But a cure is still years away.

What about the people living with MND today?

They deserve access to treatments that improve their quality of life, ease their suffering and give them more precious time with the people they love.

Every day we live with anticipatory grief.

Every day we watch Aaron lose another piece of himself.

Then, after giving us hope, Queensland Health took away the one intervention that could have given our family more time together.

We're asking for choice.

We're asking for equal treatment.

We're asking that people with MND are allowed to decide, alongside their doctors and their families, what quality of life means to them.

Most of all, we're asking for time.

Time for Aaron to be a husband.

Time to be a father.

Time to make memories with the children who still need him.

Because when you take away choice, you're not just denying a medical procedure.

You're taking away birthdays.

Christmases.

Family milestones.

And precious time that no one can ever give back.

Our 2,752 Australian MND warriors deserve the freedom to choose how they fight this cruel disease.

People willing to speak about this issue:
Andy Taylor– A Brisbane man living with Motor Neurone Disease who has a tracheostomy. Andy is living proof that people with MND can continue to have a meaningful quality of life after the procedure and strongly believes Australians should have access to the same treatment options
Narelle Fisher– Wife of the late Paul Fisher. Paul went through the Princess Alexandra Hospital process several years ago, including discussions and assessments for a tracheostomy before ultimately deciding not to proceed. Their experience demonstrates that the hospital has previously considered tracheostomy as a treatment option for MND patients. Why are they offering empty promises to patients? If this treatment has been discussed with MND patients for years, why are there still no clear procedures in place? Why were we left waiting for months, only to be told no? How many families are forced to endure endless delays while their loved one's condition continues to deteriorate? It feels as though people are expected to give up—or die—before a decision is ever made.
Kylie Alexander– Wife of Garry Alexander, a farmer from Roma. Garry received a tracheostomy that gave him years of additional time with his family.
Members of the MND support community – people from the MND support group are willing to share their experiences and explain why preserving access to tracheostomy as a treatment option is so important for people living with MND and their families.

Further evidence includes an email from the hospital's clinical staff outlining the after-care plan for Aaron's tracheostomy, including details of ongoing community support and the appropriate contacts for follow-up care. In addition, a ventilator was delivered to our home just a couple of weeks after the decision was made for Aaron to proceed with the tracheostomy, demonstrating that preparations for his long-term care were already underway.

The ventilator was provided by the hospital so Aaron could begin using it and become familiar with it before surgery, as it is different from his BiPAP machine. The intention was to make the transition as smooth as possible and ensure the change to the ventilator after surgery would not be overwhelming or unfamiliar.

Please share this story—not just for Aaron, but for everyone fighting this cruel disease.

Together, we can fight for change. We can fight to ensure our MND warriors have the power of choice, the dignity of equal access to care, and the opportunity to live the life they choose.

💙
Health