Australian TV host confirmed her own death at age 67 following a battle with motor neurone disease (MND).
“Farewell my friends. My sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building,” MacDonald wrote in an Instagram post shared on Thursday, October 3. “Hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud. Last night brought an end to a very tough few months.”
MacDonald told followers that she already said “goodbye” to her sons, Harry and Rafe, and sister Kylie. The first photo in her social media post featured MacDonald and her two sons, while the second showed the television host posing with a woman.
“While I’ve never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief,” her caption read. “The last few months have been tough. Unable to swallow normal food, the tube feeding that should have sustained me didn’t work because my gut couldn’t tolerate any of the multiple brands of protein drinks. It went straight in and straight out.”
MacDonald continued: “I have been slowly starving, growing weaker and weaker. I’ve also developed terrible back pain because my muscles aren’t supporting my frame.”
MND is a neurological condition — also known as ALS — and MacDonald received her diagnosis in 2021.
“The black humor that served me well through the first years of this journey turned to despair,” she explained. “I made the decision after much soul searching to cease all medical supports and finally go into hospital for end of life palliative care. When you love life as much as I do, it takes a great deal of courage to make choices that lead to farewell.”
MacDonald did not want to call her death a “goodbye,” so she instead told followers that she would “see you again on the other side.” She concluded: “I carry your love and laughter with me and hope you’ll remember mine.”
Prior to her death, MacDonald started It’s a Big Lap, a fundraiser for MND research.
“This terminal condition kills the brain’s neurons that control all muscles,” MacDonald explained on its website. “With an average life expectancy of 24 months — I am grateful to be alive and would love your help to 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 Australian children’s show Wombat from 1983 to 1984 before becoming the host of It’s a Knockout from 1985 to 1987.
