Australian TV presenter Fiona MacDonald announces her own death at the age of 67

Australian television presenter Fiona MacDonald confirmed her death at the age of 67 after a battle with motor neurone disease (MND).

“Goodbye my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I left the building,” MacDonald wrote in an Instagram post shared on Thursday, October 3. “I hope I’m looking down from a cloud. Last night ended a very difficult few months.

MacDonald told followers that she had already said goodbye to her sons, Harry and Rafe, and her sister Kylie. The first photo in her social media post was of MacDonald and her two sons, while the second showed the TV presenter posing with a woman.

“Even though I never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body brought relief,” her caption reads. “The last few months have been difficult. Unable to swallow normal food, the tube feeding that was supposed to sustain me didn’t work because my gut couldn’t tolerate any of the many brands of protein drinks. It went in straight and straight.”

MacDonald continued: “I was slowly starving, getting weaker and weaker. I also felt terrible back pain because the muscles were not supporting my chest.

MND is a neurological disease – also known as ALS – and MacDonald received her diagnosis in 2021.

“The dark humor that served me well during the first years of this journey turned into despair,” she explained. “After much searching, I made the decision to discontinue all medical assistance and ultimately go to hospital to receive palliative care for the rest of my life. When you love life as much as I do, it takes a lot of courage to make the decisions that lead to goodbye.

MacDonald didn’t want to call her death a “goodbye,” so instead she told followers she would “see you again on the other side.” She concluded, “I carry your love and laughter with me and I hope you remember mine.”

Before her death, MacDonald founded It’s a Big Lap, a fundraiser for MND research.

“This terminal condition kills the brain neurons that control all the muscles,” MacDonald explained on his website. “Life expectancy is 24 months – I am grateful to be alive and I would love for you to help fight this disease.”

At the time of her death, more than $223,000 had been raised, with a goal of $250,000. Her health journey was chronicled on the It’s a Big Lap Instagram page.

MacDonald was the star of an Australian children’s show Wombat from 1983 to 1984 before becoming host It’s a knockout from 1985 to 1987.