Anna Penhall died from MND, but her life continues to be remembered by loved ones

Scott Penhall will never forget the moment he said goodbye to his wife for the final time – and when he found the unlikely strength that can come from loss. Here he shares his story.

Tragedy has often been described as a strong acid that can dissolve away everything but the very gold of truth.

For Scott Penhall, it’s a statement that rings true after losing his wife of 23 years, Anna, to Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

On his darkest days, when trying to be the best father to their children while missing his soulmate, it’s his wife’s incredible resilience before her death that gives him strength.

That’s his gold of truth.

That, he says, can’t be diminished by the sadness he feels around her death.

“She pushed herself well beyond what I or anyone could imagine, she really pushed herself well beyond what her body was willing to give her,” Mr Penhall, 56, said.

“We were pretty positive throughout the whole journey which I think helped Anna in those last two years.”

Scott Penhall remembers his wife and mother of their three children as a strong, caring and resilient fighter in the face of what could have been a tragedy. Picture: Emma Brasier

By his own admission, Mr Penhall calls MND a devastating disease. One that slowly robbed his wife and mother of his three children of her ability to walk, talk and eventually breathe.

MND affects the body’s nerve cells, which eventually leads to the unique loss of control over basic body functions, externally and internally.

The disease has no cure and is life shortening for the two Australians on average who are diagnosed with the condition daily.

Anna, who died peacefully at home from her condition in December 2020 aged 49, appeared healthy and happy before her diagnosis in January of 2019 – but doctors warned she didn’t have long to live.

“(We made) a roster system for people coming and going, saying ‘Hi’ to Anna,” Mr Penhall said.

“That support and network was unbelievable, which really helped Anna extend her life, because they kept coming so Anna kept smiling.”

Every MND journey is different, and Anna and Scott Penhall – with their three children Matthew, Mia and Kirsty – refused to take a negative outlook on her condition. Picture: Matt Turner

In the three months after her 2019 diagnosis, Anna’s symptoms progressed in rapid succession.

“All the bad stuff of MND happened all at once, losing movement of her legs and arms, not being able to swallow,” Mr Penhall said.

“She was pretty much wheelchair-bound right from the get go … (MND) had a major effect on all of us, but most importantly Anna’s not here.”

Mr Penhall and their three children, Kirsty, 23, Matthew, 21, and Mia, 15, continue to cherish the memory of their loved mother and be inspired by her fight.

“We’re not burying the fact that Anna had MND and passed away from MND, we grab it with both hands and try to help others going through what we went through,” he said.

“What she showed through the disease, the resilience and strength in fighting because she wanted to see the kids and those years as they go from little kids to kind of adults, those milestones.

“She did the hard work and she wanted to see the fruits of some of that labour.”

Anna Penhall never stopped smiling after her diagnosis, right until the very end. Picture: Supplied by Scott Penhall

Scott and Anna Penhall met at University and were married for 23 years.

After spending the last two years of their mother’s life watching her journey through MND, the Penhall children have all separately made the decision to pursue careers in health.

Mr Penhall said he thinks their exposure to her condition is likely to have had an impact on their choices, but they were all determined in their decision.

“Kirsty is going to graduate from physio this year, my son is a third year medical student and my daughter wants to be a nurse,” Mr Penhall said.

“I think the kids, especially Matthew, he got in to medicine because he had a lot of exposure to the hospital system with Anna being in it.

“Mia, our youngest one, she is very much like Anna, that caring-natured person and she has wanted to be a nurse for this last year.”

Knowing what could come in the future after the Penhall’s received Anna’s diagnosis, Mr Penhall and Anna made a deal – Anna was determined to continue fighting her worsening condition, as long as he was willing to be by her side.

While watching their mother get ill turned the lives of the Penhall family upside down, her continued memory remains a positive one. Picture: Matt Turner

“I cherish those two years in being there by her side through that journey,” Mr Penhall said

“It was tough, I look back on it and I think I looked like I did it quite easily … it was a lot tougher in reflection. I’d do it all again if Anna was still here.”

Anna and her memory continues to live on through her family and the community they grew to be a part of.

The Penhalls met property developer Steven Pisani through the board of MND SA who, alongside his business partner Steven Vacca of S & S Developments, are currently constructing their latest property development in Kurralta Park.

The development includes 23 new townhouses with a central laneway running through them which has been named “Anna’s Lane” in her honour, with The one townhouse be to auctioned off and profits donated to MND.

But the work hasn’t stopped for Mr Penhall.

He has continued to advocate for MND, serving on the board of MND SA and MND Australia and is currently raising funds for MND Australia by challenging himself to run the New York Marathon.

But his “grand plan” is to advocate for the merging of the different MND groups to solidify a single voice in Australia for the MND community.

Anyone looking to support Mr Penhall’s marathon run and MND Australia can find out more information and donate via his GoFundMe here.

Originally published as Anna Penhall died from MND, but her life continues to be remembered by loved ones