AFL star Gary Rohan has praised his 'incredible' girlfriend Madi Bennett after she opened up about her family heartache in an emotional podcast interview.
The Geelong Cats player, 30, said the club's former physio, 27, was 'one of the strongest people I have ever met', after she bravely discussed her mother's death aged 47 from Huntington's disease.
Gary wrote on Instagram on Wednesday: 'I'm so proud of this incredible woman, one of the strongest people I have ever met. I love you.'
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Support: AFL star Gary Rohan (right) has praised his 'incredible' girlfriend Madi Bennett (left) after she opened up about her family heartache in an emotional podcast interview
Madi had appeared on Power, Strength and Vulnerability: The Mental Health Podcast to discuss her mother's death in 2013, when she was just 19 years old.
Her mum had lived with Huntington's, a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time and is inherited from a person's parents, for seven years.
The disease gets gradually worse and is usually fatal after a period of up to 20 years.
Symptoms usually start at 30 to 50 years of age, but can begin much earlier or later.
'It was very much a part of my reality that I would lose mum earlier than expected, but her death was still quite sudden,' Madi said.
'Mum didn't have much quality of life towards the end, but we still thought we had a bit more time. It took us by surprise, but that's a part of the disease - it's so savage, and so unpredictable.'
Support: In a post shared on Instagram, Gary wrote: 'I'm so proud of this incredible woman, one of the strongest people I have ever met. I love you'
If a parent has the Huntington's disease gene, there's a 50 per cent chance of each of their children developing the condition, and affected children are also able to pass the gene to any they have.
There's currently no cure for Huntington's disease, or any way to stop it getting worse.
Madi made the decision to get tested for the gene when she was 23 years old.
After a lengthy process, she find out she was negative - and broke down in tears upon hearing the incredible news.
'I can't even explain... there's no possible words in the world,' she said.
'I just dropped. Just balled my eyes out, went numb, sweaty, crying. I hugged my genetic counsellor for ages. What a bloody process to have gotten to the end of.'
She added that while she never considered having children before, she now 'can't wait to be a mum'.
