Fremantle coach Ross Lyon touched by motor neurone disease cause Fremantle coach Ross Lyon will wear a blue cornflower on his collar as part of his ambassador's role for motor neurone disease. FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon will always cherish the final year he got to spend with his mum. Now, he wants anyone else whose life is being touched by motor neurone disease to reach out and seek help. Lyon will wear a blue cornflower on his collar during Saturday night's clash with Collingwood as part of his ambassador role for the MND Association of Western Australia. The cause is close to Lyon's heart after losing his mum Louise to the disease in 2004, just one year after she was diagnosed. "It started in her calf and worked all the way up until she passed away," Lyon said. She went from a fit, active woman, to chair and bed-ridden. She couldn't move her arms or her legs. Lyon said his mum's final few days were particularly agonising. "By then the disease was up to her throat," he said. So it was suffocation, an inability to breathe. The unofficial catch cry for MND is: No cause, no cure and certain death. The blue cornflower - which can withstand extreme conditions while retaining its colour - is somewhat symbolic of the resilience displayed by MND sufferers and their families under enormous strain. Lyon said it was important for people to make the most of the time they had left with MND sufferers. "You're fortunate that you can still communicate," Lyon told the Fremantle website in his role of promoting MND awareness week. I remember sharing some Chinese meals and just sitting there talking with mum. Her ability to talk and her personality was always there. I found out a bit about my mum and her courage. After his mum was diagnosed with MND, Lyon and his wife Kirsten moved in so they could offer assistance. Lyon praised the guidance and resources provided by the MND Association during the tough time. "It is an insidious disease and families and people inflicted with it need all the support they can get," he said.