‘Trapped’: NRL legend’s devastating battle
An NRL legend who was diagnosed with an incurable disease has revealed how his health battles have worsened.
Former Brisbane Broncos player Carl Webb had his life turned upside down after being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) aged just 39.
The father-of-four has felt his condition deteriorate over the three years that he’s had the disease, which impacts nerve cells that control muscles, limiting the ability to move and speak.
It goes on to affect a person’s ability to breathe and swallow.
“Raising a glass or bottle to my mouth to drink, those little arbitrary tasks throughout the day are quite challenging now,” Mr Webb told A Current Affair.
He is currently recording his voice for when the time comes that he will no longer be able to speak.
Known for his incredible strength during his playing career, Mr Webb says he feels “kind of trapped in a body that’s not working so well”.
Though he says he keeps a level of strength to get out of bed each day, it’s his partner of five years Cassandra Jamieson who helps him each day.
“It is the hardest thing to ever expect anyone to do, but there is a level of strength there that is just incredible and she turns up every day,” Mr Webb said.
Mr Webb has decided to do the most with what he has left, creating the Carl Webb Foundation to help those suffering from MND.
His former teammates have rallied around him, with fellow NRL legend Darren Lockyer becoming an ambassador for the charity and support from Damon Keating.
“It’s been so inspiring to see the way he has reacted to it,” Lockyer said.
“It’s not about him, it’s about what he can do for others and that’s his family and other people that suffer from the same condition.”
The pair have urged people to purchase tickets for the charity’s main fundraiser called the Long Long Lunch which will be held in Brisbane on October 27 and is an opportunity to meet rugby league legends and Australians living with MND.
“I think it (The Long Long Lunch) overwhelms him, but he’s not doing it for people to come and go to lunch, he’s doing it to obviously make a difference in other people’s lives,” Lockyer said.
