On Thursday November 1, 2018, Dr Ian Davis died after seven years with motor neurone disease.
In the hours before his death, the dad-of-one posted a final message on Facebook.
“Today, I say farewell,” he began. “Thank you everyone for all the support, love, and compassion over the years during my fight. It has been some ride.”
“I will leave this broken body with a full heart. Please tell my boy I love him and I’m so proud to be his dad.
“This photo taken yesterday is our final moment together.”
Ian, a Melbourne-based doctor, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in 2011, when he was just 33 years old.
MND gradually destroys nerve cells, which affects a person’s ability to control the muscles they need to be able to move, speak, eat and breathe.
At the moment there is no cure for MND, and patients usually only live for an average of two to three years after their diagnosis.
In the seven years since his diagnosis, Ian helped to raise millions of dollars for research into the disease. In 2014, he founded the Cure for MND Foundation and its Fight MND campaign.
Ian and his wife Melissa, who is also a doctor, had a son named Archie in 2014.
In September, Ian told his Facebook followers his journey was coming to an end.
“I will soon remove my ventilator and hopefully pass peacefully,” he wrote.
“If you ever meet my boy Archie, please tell him how proud his dad is of him and how much I love him.
“Thank you all for your support over the duration of my fight against this beast of a disease. My fight is over.”
In his final message, Ian asked people to donate to Fight MND to help find a cure.