For the love of family — and a better future

Since Darrin Hill was diagnosed with MS in 2014, he’s become passionate about raising money to support lifechanging research and services for people who live with MS. So has his family.

Last year, his 10-year-old daughter Emily had an idea: she wanted to make a difference, just like her dad.

Emily wrote to her principal for permission to organise an MS Readathon. She and her classmates raised more than $3,000, and her school is now keen to make MS Readathon an annual event.

It’s love and generosity like this that keep Darrin smiling.

“Sometimes my fifteen-year-old son, Ethan, does things like mowing the lawn or taking out the bins to help me, or Emily offers to massage my legs,” he says.

Darrin remembers the day his life changed. “After hearing the neurologist advise me I had MS, I heard nothing for the next hour. Thankfully my wife Julie was present,” he says. It was an awful situation, “but my diagnosis did put the jigsaw together”.

Treatments for MS have improved immensely in recent years, thanks to fundraising efforts like Emily’s. The kindness and generosity of the MS ‘family’ means organisations like MS Plus can provide support and services to support people affected by MS. But there’s still a long way to go.

“As anyone with MS would understand, the good days are great, but the bad days can be devastating. That’s life and we will soldier on,” Darrin says.

He is grateful for the care he receives from friends, colleagues and the doctors who help him live life to the fullest. “At the end of the day you need to play the cards you are dealt.”

Since his diagnosis, Darrin has continued to work as a consultant in the energy sector. His workmates have also pitched in to support the MS cause.

“I have an annual event with work colleagues,” he says. “We organise a BBQ, salad and drinks within our Yarraville office for World MS Day. This has been taking place for three years now, with all monies raised going straight to the MS Society.”

Darrin believes that we can brighten the future together.

For a no-obligation chat, please contact our friendly Gift in Wills Manager, Laura, at , visit or call 1800 443 867 today.

Pictured: Darrin with daughter Emily.