Fiona MacDonald’s fight has come to an end.
The Australian TV host died at the age of 67 after a battle with motor neurone disease (also called ALS)—a kind of neurodegenerative disorder affecting the brain and nerves—which she was diagnosed with in 2021.
But ahead of her passing, Fiona chose to take control of how the news would be shared with the world and drafted a message to be shared after she’d died.
“Farewell my friends,” began the October 3 message. “My sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building – Hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud.”
She continued, alongside photos with her sister and sons Harry and Rafe, “Last night brought an end to a very tough few months. Was very peaceful the boys and Kylie stayed with me to say goodbye. While I’ve never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief.”
Fiona also detailed the ways her disease had progressed in recent months, making swallowing food impossible, and how her body couldn’t tolerate the protein drinks meant to sustain her. She’d also been suffering from sever back pain, as her muscles could no longer support her frame.