Fiona McDonald: It’s a knockout, Wombat star dies after ‘excruciating’ battle with motor neurone disease

Beloved Australian television star Fiona McDonald has died after a painful battle with motor neurone disease. She was 67.

The sad news was announced in a farewell note she wrote herself, but which was posted on social media by her sister Kylie following her death.

McDonald wrote that while she never wanted to die, “the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief.”

McDonald was a constant presence on Australian television throughout the 1980s, hosting the popular game show It’s a Knock Out and appearing on the children’s television show Wombat alongside another famous Australian character, Aggro.

Her sister Jacki McDonald was a buddy of Daryl Somers on Hey Hey It’s Saturday.

In her message, McDonald wrote: “Farewell my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I left the building – hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud.

“A very tough few months came to an end last night. It was very peaceful, the boys and Kylie stayed with me to say goodbye.”

McDonald, who leaves behind sons Ryan and Rafe, was diagnosed with MND in 2021.

MND affects the nerves, causing them to degenerate and die, and causing the muscles to become progressively weaker.

Ultimately, the disease leads to paralysis and death.

Last year, McDonald and her sister took a tour of Australia called “It’s A Big Lap” to raise funds for research into the disease.

The GoFundMe campaign for the trip raised nearly $230,000.

“The last few months have been tough. I was unable to swallow normal food, and the tube feeding that was supposed to feed me wasn’t working because my gut couldn’t tolerate any of the different brands of protein drinks. It went straight in and out,” McDonald wrote in her farewell post.

“I was slowly starving and becoming weaker and weaker. I also developed terrible back pain because my muscles didn’t support my body.

“The dark humor that had served me well in the first few years of this journey turned into despair. After much consideration, I made the decision to stop all medical support and ultimately go to hospital for end-of-life palliative care. When you love life as much as I do, it takes a lot of courage to make decisions that lead to parting. “So let’s not call it goodbye because I hope to see you again on the other side. Until then: “May the wind always be at your back, May the sun shine warmly on your face, May the rain fall gently on your fields, until we meet again, And may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.” Carry your love and your laughter with me and hope you remember mine.”