Support MND Ireland in honour of Andres Estevez Guersanik

We’re raising funds for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association in honour of Andres Estevez Guersanik — a beloved member of Ireland’s rugby and wider community — who was diagnosed with MND in 2023. All proceeds go to MND Ireland.

A word from Brent Pope, Founder of Elephant in the Room Movement:

Charlie Bird was the first person I asked to become an ambassador for "The Elephant in the Room Movement". A mental health advocacy movement I co-founded with Eoin Byrne in 2022. Charlie was diagnosed with MND soon after and sadly passed away last year. I wanted to help somehow, to bring greater awareness to a disease that to date has no cure and no real treatment options. Most people have never even heard of MND, so it is vital we get the message out that this is not an" incurable disease, " but rather a seriously misunderstood and underfunded one.

I then learned of Andres Estevez Guersanik, a 45-year-old father of 2 originally from Argentina but living in Ireland for over 20 years, who in 2023 was also diagnosed with MND. I knew that the Argentine rugby team was playing in the Aviva Stadium last season, so I arranged with their coach and former Leinster player Felipe Contepomi to have his Argentine team sign a Pumas rugby elephant for Andres. The plan was to auction this unique elephant to raise funds for his family, but such is Andres' kind nature, he insisted that he would like all the funds to go to the Irish MND Association, IMNDA. At the same time, I knew that the Pumas would be back in the Aviva on June 22nd to face the Lions, so against that background we also donated a Lions elephant, subsequently signed by all the players to raise money for "Myame5Doddie Foundation, the MND Foundation in the UK created by the late, great Lions player Doddie Weir. Last week, that Lion's elephant sold for nearly 20,000 euros, which will all go to that charity. Andres is an inspirational family man with a loving wife, Jennifer and 2 wonderful children, Leo and Alex. Every day is a struggle for Andres as he loses a part of himself, physically and mentally, but his infectious smile and positive attitude keep everyone else affected by this horrible disease buoyed up in the various clinics and hospitals he attends. Everyone loves Andres. Often, the most inspirational people in life are not celebrities or movie stars, but rather normal people just doing their bit to make others’ lives better. Andres epitomises that to me. So you can just donate, or you can make a bid to own the Puma elephant (especially if you are bidding from Argentina), and if rugby is not your sport, and you want to bid for a bespoke elephant for your company or organisation, then we can provide that.

Having moved to Ireland from New Zealand, I have experienced the wonderful generosity of the Irish, like me, Andres has made Ireland his home. Let us help him in fulfilling his dreams and give back.