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Charity restoration pushes for Motor Nurone Disease cure

The National Transport Insurance (NTI) truck restoration for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is well under way, and the second episode in the video series provides a touching insight into why this charity project is one close to the insurer.

In Australia there are 2,000 people currently affected by MND and with an average life expectancy of just 27 months following diagnosis, the absence of a known cure for the neurodegenerative disease is something MND and Me Foundation is working to solve.

Sadly, one those people affected is former NTI CEO, Wayne Patterson, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) two years ago.

Wayne decided to raise awareness and live his life to the fullest while the disease took hold, something that inspired his former employers to step in with the Truck Restoration charity series.

“The decision was to live as well as I could, and cram as much as I can into the remaining years,” Wayne says.

“We’ve got a long way to go to find a cure…So every dollar raised through this initiative with NTI is going to save the lives of thousands of people.”

NTI Service Provider Liaison, Don Geer, and Manager of Supplier Relationships, Peeter Liiv, have taken on the restoration project and you’d be hard pressed finding two more passionate men for the job.

“The journey for Peeter and I has been pretty much full on,” Don says, as the pair focuses on not just the truck restoration, but encouraging the support of MND and Me throughout the series.

“Wayne Patterson has MND and so it’s really important people get a ticket and support MND and Me research to hopefully find a cure for it down the track.”

Owner//Driver did a live walk-around of the truck at the Brisbane Truck Show and while it ran, drove and looked the part, the lead-up to getting it there wasn’t free of hiccups.

“One of the difficulties was that we couldn’t get kingpins for the front axle, so Peeter and I went out to Dalby to look for some bits off an old truck we knew of,” Don explains.

“It had a whole front axle and a few other bits we could use to modernise the restoration, so we bought it!”

Don and Peeter saw huge success at the Brisbane Truck Show and the old Inter was never free of an eager crowd of nostalgic onlookers.

Wayne Patterson himself visited the show and was overjoyed as Don and Peeter walked him through the ins and outs of the K5, a vibrant smile on his face throughout.

As the restoration rolls on, Don has told us that while he can’t give too much away on the next episode, the truck is now in pieces!

“Leading into episode three, we’ve completely dismantled it and we’re starting the full process of the restoration,” He says.

“Brisbane Iveco has been kind enough to give us full reign of their workshop, equipment and tradesman.”

The 1946 International Model K5 will be raffled off once the ground-up resto has returned the ‘Green Diamond’ to its former glory, with all proceeds donated to MND and Me Foundation.

The raffle will be drawn on the 1st of September and the three finalists will each be given a key and flown to Brisbane on the 15th of that month.

Each finalist will try their individual key in the Resto’d banger and one will walk away with the truck, while the other two finalists each score a $2,000 BP Fuel voucher.

To purchase raffle tickets and support MND and Me Foundation, click here.

 

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