An Australian television presenter announces her death in a posthumous post on social media

On Thursday, Australian television presenter Fiona MacDonald announced her death at the age of 67 in a posthumous social media post.

The beloved host, who worked on children’s show “Wombat” and game show “It’s a Knockout,” has died three years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

“Goodbye my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I left the building. I hope I’m looking down from a cloud,” MacDonald wrote in an Instagram post.

“Last night ended a very difficult few months. It was very quiet, the boys and Kylie stayed with me to say goodbye. Even though I never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body brought relief,” she wrote.

She described her last months as “hard”, saying she was unable to swallow normal food, could not tolerate protein drinks and was “slowly starving, getting weaker and weaker”.

MacDonald was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in November 2021, according to the Australia Broadcasting Company. Neither ABC nor MacDonald has ever publicly stated a specific diagnosis.

There are various motor neuron diseases; this term refers to a progressive neurological disorder that destroys motor neurons and cells. According to the National Institutes of Health, these neurons control skeletal muscle activity, including walking, breathing, talking and swallowing. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) are examples of motor neuron diseases. For most there is no medicine.

“The dark humor that served me well during the first years of this journey turned to despair,” MacDonald explained in her post. “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.

“So let’s not say goodbye, I hope we will meet again on the other side,” she continued.

Fiona McDonald, co-host of “It’s a Knockout” in 1985.Ross Anthony Willis/Fairfax Media via Getty Images file

She ended her post with a quote: “May the wind always blow 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.”

“I carry your love and laughter with me and I hope you remember mine,” she concluded.

The Australian Story TV series discussed MacDonald’s diagnosis last October.

As the show revealed, she began experiencing some symptoms in early 2021, including slurring and stumbling. She said the diagnosis came as a “shock” because MacDonald had no family history of motor neurone disease.

“My world collapsed,” she said in a computerized voice in the episode because she had lost the ability to speak.

“This is not a disease for the faint of heart. There is no treatment, there is no cure,” she explained in the episode. But she didn’t let the diagnosis stop her. Even though she was frail and had to rely on wheelchairs and walking sticks, she and her sister traveled around Australia to raise money to support research into motor neurone diseases before her death.