If you ever needed an excuse to go on a shopping spree we've got it.
A Whangarei man living with motor neurone disease (MND) is raising money by selling household items on Trade Me as the muscle-wasting condition stops his ability to use them.
It's part of a fundraising campaign to raise more awareness of the disease and money for research.
David Seymour is running a real-time auction in a timeline reflective of his body's deterioration.
"I can't even get myself a glass of water anymore, I struggle to scratch my head or anything," he says.
After developing symptoms in 2016 the Whangarei local was diagnosed with MND.
"It takes everything. It robs you of everything," he says.
The muscles he uses to move, speak, swallow and breathe will eventually stop working completely. So Seymour is auctioning off everything he can no longer use.
"Probably the thing I miss most is the shoes. Being able to stand up and walk," he says.
There are very few treatments for MND and no known cure. And as of yet, no explanation for New Zealand's high rates.
"I have seen people in advanced stages of motor neurone, and knowing what's coming is nightmarish," Seymour says.
An Auckland University study found that in New Zealand there are 2.8 deaths per 100,000 people each year while internationally the average is 1.6.
"At the start the symptoms can be quite subtle so it can be hard to diagnose, and people might bounce around the medical system for a while before they get the diagnosis of MND meaning the time they have left is even shorter," says Dr Emma Scotter, head of the Motor Neuron Disease Lab at the Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland.
Seymour's selling 33 items with 100 percent of funds raised going towards more awareness, research and support.
"I would give up everything that I've ever owned, to be able to walk again, but the reality is I don't think thats gonna happen," he says.
Instead he's hoping that selling his belongings will mean others could one day be able to use theirs, for longer.
