Nancy Norma Hare

(nee Everingham)

1928 - 2006

Brief History

Nancy was born in Wauchope, NSW on the 11^th October 1928.  She was the sixth and youngest child of Charles and Ruby Everingham (nee Long).  Charles was a local butcher shop owner.

She grew up in Wauchope and on the 10^th June 1946 married William (Bill) Hare. They had a family of four boys (Denis, Brian, Eric and Tony).   In the early years of the marriage Bill became an Ambulance Officer and as a team they ran a number of country Ambulance Stations, Bill raising the money to fund the Station and doing ambulance duties, while Nancy manned the station phone and radio plus raised the children.

Hare Family L-R Eric, Nancy, Brian, Bill, Denis and Tony - 1969

Stations included Bonalbo, Nambucca Heads, Macksville and Cootamundra.  By the time of their retirement, Bill was a superintendent at Wagga Wagga and Nancy was free of unpaid Ambulance duties and was involved in many community groups.

Nancy and Bill retired to Wauchope in 1981.

By the early 1990's they had moved to Bribie Island for a sea change.  Nancy once again got involved in community work on the Island, which included the RSL Women's Auxiliary were she visited older veterans in nursing and retirement homes in the district, giving out sweets and other items.  In June 2000 she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).  She lost the power of speech as the disease took hold and learned to use a computer to assist in communications with family and friends.  She fought the disease which was to end her life one month short of her sixtieth wedding anniversary.

Bill and Nancy Hare - Nov 1999

Mum pass away on the 10 May 2006 and is sadly missed by us all

Nancy's Story

June 2003

I was born in Wauchope in 1928, Nancy Everingham and married Bill Hare in June 1946.  This is my story and thoughts on Motor Neurone Disease (MND) having been diagnosis with the disease in June 2000.  However I do believe I had been suffering from it for many years before that date.

I remember having intermittent voice loss before 1991.  At first I thought it was Laryngitis and then I got a fury tongue.  When it kept up, I was so sure I had cancer in the throat and ask to see a Specialist in Caboolture November 1991.  The Specialist though it was the way I spoke which was putting a strain on the throat muscle and I needed speech therapy.  This was arranged at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.  The intermittent voice loss was still accruing but I did not worry, as there were no nasty problems with the throat.

In November 1995 I went to see another Specialist in Wickham Terrace, Brisbane.  She diagnosed reflux and recommended putting the head of the bed up for sleeping.  My GP was now treating me for Sjogren’s Syndrome [Dry Mouth] and recommended I should have more voice therapy - so I had more in Redcliffe during 1999.

Early 2000 I had almost lost my voice, so in April 2000 I went back to the Doctor in Brisbane.  I had a barium swallow blood test including B12 and folate plus saw a Speech Therapist.  The Speech Therapy rang the Doctor straight away and he brought my next appointment forward to the next day.  I was then referred to a Neurologist.  In May 2000 the Neurologist ordered another blood test and a MRI.  Returning to the Neurologist in June 2000, I was told he thought my problem was bulbar palsy, a form of MND.  I had never heard the words before but my husband was called in to be told.  Being an Ex Ambulance Officer he had heard and knew all about it, poor man shook all over.

I continued going to Neurologist in Brisbane for 12 months but then had a talk with Doctor, as he could not do anything for me, the cost was a lot, plus it was a very long day with the traveling from Bribie Island.  I stopped going to Brisbane for checks from that day.  I have not had MND confirmed by electromyography at the time of writing this story.

However I have been into Brisbane to a research program and it was very good.   The Sister from Karuna took both Bill and I in and we gave blood for the research.  It was an eye opener.

Update: February 2005

I am now in Sunnymeade Nursing Home and Bill lives close by in the Village.  At the top of this web page is a photo of Bill and myself in better days.

Update: April 2005

Doctor Rosemary and Karuna Nurse Jill ran an appeal for an electric wheel chair for me.  People and clubs on Bribie Island gave to the appeal.  It was wonderful of them and the motorize wheel chair allows me to move myself around, giving some independence.  The wheel chair I now call my CHARIOT! 

It will go back to Bribie Hospice when I am finished with it.  The photo is of the Doctor and me when I first got it the wheel chair.