Chris Kemp can no longer hold the drumsticks that were once rarely out of his hands.
The Thames musician now uses a power wheelchair, relies on round-the-clock care from partner Kendall Todd, and is living with motor neurone disease (MND), a progressive condition that has steadily taken away his mobility since his diagnosis in 2023.
Yet behind the lime-green front door of the couple’s Thames home, life remains filled with music, plans, and purpose.
Chris is sharing his story as part of MND Action Month, which includes the return of the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and support for people living with the disease.
The illness is terminal, with a life expectancy of two-three years, and for Chris, it will progressively rob him of his ability to move, speak, and breathe.
But Chris, a drummer who once played in the support band for Chris Isaak at the St James Theatre, hasn’t let the disease take away his passion for creating music.
He and Kendall have plans to write and record a third album together, using technology to recreate Chris’ drumming.
“After thinking I would never get to play music again, we came up with a plan to adapt my drumming practice from physical to digital – this will involve learning how to use a recording software in combination with midi controllers and whatever else we can use to create,” Chris told The Profile.
“It is ambitious as it can be a big learning curve for an analog musician! However, we now have the basic set-up to start creating and building from there.”
Chris said he and Kendall focus on the “can do”, rather than the “can’t do”, and he still enjoyed getting out and about in Thames – a community he was deeply grateful for, with supporters both locally and further afield helping raise more than $74,220 through a Givealittle page.
“I love living in Thames and being part of the community,” Chris said. “There’s easy access to health services in general, and it is a low-stress environment that I can navigate safely in my wheelchair. I can visit the movies where David always saves a spot in the front row for me, and we live next to wonderful neighbours who check in on us and have helped us with so many different things.”
The couple said they had been buoyed by the generosity of the community, receiving practical support, fundraising assistance, and access to therapies that have helped improve Chris’ quality of life. The couple also benefited from a community fundraiser organised by local band The Tuesdays and Carson’s Bookshop.
Donations also helped fund a family trip to the United States last year, one of several ways Chris, Kendall, and their children have continued to prioritise making memories together.
Chris is now on a mission to help raise awareness of the disease that he said he knew nothing about when he was diagnosed.
“I like to talk about it, because I want everyone to know what the hell’s going on,” he said. “I feel like it’s the most horrible disease and I knew nothing about it.”
Chris is also searching for someone to step into the role of run director for a local parkrun initiative he has spent the past two years developing.
He told The Profile in 2024 that he hoped establishing the event would be a lasting legacy following his diagnosis.
“I can’t run anymore. My body wants to, but knees say no – I always get beaten by a small child or a pram,” he said at the time. “[But] I want to do this for the community.”
DETAILS: To help with the parkrun, email support@parkrun.com. For info on the Ice Bucket Challenge or how to raise funds for MND NZ, visit www.mndactionmonth.org.nz
BY KELLEY TANTAU
