“Heartbreaking Goodbye!” Forced To Retire, NRL Star Jai Arrow Sends Emotional Message For Family!
Jai Arrow sends emotional message in fresh move for family after NRL star forced to retire
The 30-year-old’s NRL career was cruelly cut short after his MND diagnosis.
Jai Arrow has made an emotional plea for support after launching a new campaign to raise funds for his ongoing battle against Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The NRL star says his “life changed forever” after learning of his devastating diagnosis, and he hopes to do everything in his power to support his partner Berina and their one-year-old daughter, Ayla.
It’s why the 30-year-old – whose forced NRL retirement rocked the league world – has created a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of his family. The ‘Stand With Me’ campaign will raise valuable money for the Arrow family as they navigate the most heartbreaking and challenging period of their young lives.
Jai Arrow has created a new fundraising campaign to help support his family in the wake of his devastating MND diagnosis. Pic: Getty/Jai Arrow
Arrow says nothing could have prepared him for the MND diagnosis that has turned his family’s world upside down. There is currently no cure for the debilitating disease. But the former Souths and Maroons star has vowed to “never stop fighting”, and he’ll continue to seek treatment and therapy to live the best life he can.
In a heartfelt video message, the 30-year-old revealed that his “biggest reason for fighting” is his young daughter. Arrow described his little girl Ayla as “my motivation, my purpose and my reason to keep pushing forward”. And it’s why he’s leaving no stone unturned to make sure they can share in as many special moments as possible.
Jai Arrow draws on love for family in fight against MND
“Like many families facing MND, we have been thrown into a world filled with uncertainty, difficult decisions and challenges that we never imagined we would face,” Arrow said. “But if there is one thing I have learned throughout my life, it is that you never stop fighting.
“I am determined to give myself every opportunity possible to live the best life I can, to explore treatments and therapies that may help, and to continue creating memories with the people I love most. My biggest reason for fighting is my family, especially my beautiful daughter, Ayla. She is still so young, with her whole life ahead of her.
“Every day I wake up wanting to be the best dad I can be and to create as many special memories with her as possible. She is my motivation, my purpose and my reason to keep pushing forward.”
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Jai Arrow to be part of the 12th edition of AFL’s Big Freeze
Arrow has been invited by Collingwood and the AFL to toss the coin before the King’s Birthday clash at the MCG on Monday, as part of the 12th edition of the Big Freeze. The annual MND fundraiser was co-founded by the late AFL great Neale Daniher – who tragically passed away recently after a 13-year battle with the disease.
The Big Freeze has become a beloved and important part of the AFL calendar and has raised well over $100 million towards MND research over the last decade. This year’s event will be particularly poignant in the wake of Daniher’s death. And Arrow has flown back from a wellness retreat in Spain to be a special guest of honour.
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The NRL is also set to throw Arrow the “world’s biggest birthday party on July 12, when the Rabbitohs host Newcastle at Accor Stadium on his 31st birthday. Fans will be encouraged to bring donations for MND charities as part of a ‘Jai July’ campaign across the rest of the month that will help raise money for Arrow and his family.
The NRL is also set to throw Arrow the “world’s biggest birthday party on July 12, when the Rabbitohs host Newcastle at Accor Stadium on his 31st birthday. Fans will be encouraged to bring donations for MND charities as part of a ‘Jai July’ campaign across the rest of the month that will help raise money for Arrow and his family.