Can I holiday with Motor Neurone Disease (MND)?

It depends on the severity of your condition but yes, you can fly with Motor Neurone Disease and you can obtain travel insurance for it, too. MND affects the brain and spinal cord. It is fatal, there is no cure and it is normally a rapidly progressing disease.

It is an uncommon condition that causes weaknesses in the body, which get worse over time. It mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s but can be diagnosed in adults of all ages.

According to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, six people a day are diagnosed with the condition and a third of those will die within a year; more than half within two years of diagnosis.

Yet people may still travel with the disease, although they and their carers have to get organised. Talk to your doctor and then one of Direct-Travel’s friendly advisers who can arrange your insurance cover. Meanwhile, here are some tips.

Flying with Motor Neurone Disease

Follow these guidelines as advised by the MND Association:

• If you need help breathing you may need to be assessed to see whether you are fit to fly
• Should your health professional advise that you need oxygen on the flight then this will be assessed at your ‘fit-to-fly’ check. If you are dependant on a ventilation machine to help you breathe you may not be able to fly
• If you are cleared for flying but need oxygen you cannot bring your own supply. Most airlines will be able to supply this but it may attract a fee
• Your respiratory team and your doctor will be able to assess you to see if you are fit to fly but put this in motion a couple of months before your departure date
• Arrange a meeting with your doctor just before you fly to obtain advice about what else they can provide in terms of managing your wider conditions
• If you need to take any further medical equipment with you on the flight you will need to ask the airline. The final decision on this rests with them
• Take with you any documentation about your medical devices should they set off the security alarms
• If your equipment relies on batteries for back up take dry-cell batteries as wet-cell ones are not allowed on aircrafts
• The air carrier may ask for a completed Medical Information Form (MEDIF) or a letter from your doctor that details:
• your diagnosis
• your fitness to fly
• the blood gas results from your breathing test
• the type of equipment you will be using and the settings required
• that you need to carry your equipment on board as hand luggage

Please contact our team for help with your medical insurance cover.