Osh runs 4 MND in memory of dad

Hamilton’s Oisin Ballinger (20) is on a mission to make a difference for people affected by motor neurone disease (MND). Four years after his dad’s death from the disease Oisin is turning his grief into purpose by running a marathon to raise awareness and funds for MND research, support and advocacy.

Having completed the 2026 North Shore Half Marathon (pictured above) on Father’s Day, his ultimate goal is the full distance at the Queenstown Marathon this weekend.

Life gets bigger

Inked on Oisin’s arm are the words that guide him: ‘Grief doesn’t get smaller, life just gets bigger’. It’s a powerful reminder of the loss he, his mum Kelly, his brothers Perry and Alex, and their whānau experienced when Dean Ballinger died. Oisin was 16.

Remembering Dean

A media studies lecturer at Waikato University and academic, a talented artist, cartoonist, satirist, poet, and musician, Dean was just 48 when he died with MND.

“I was up at Waikato University with him quite a bit after school and I remember that a lot. Which I think is why I decided to stay home and go to Waikato – I have a connection there,” reminisces Oisin.

“Dad was really into his art – he was an artist part time. He liked painting and drawing. So, I always remember him doodling. And always playing music, he played the drums, and he had a huge CD and record collection.” 


Oisin also recalls noisy band practices at the Ballinger family home in Hillcrest reverberating through the whole house. “He was in a couple of bands over the years. The one I remember the most was a surf rock band. So that was cool.”

In the final years of his life, Dean’s main creative focus was Ohu, a graphic novel for younger readers that was published after his death. A separate anthology of Dean’s adult cartoon work was initiated by longtime friend Mark Servian, who brought together more than 300 pages of Dean’s cartoons. Friends and family helped complete the project, which was later published in two volumes, alongside Ohu, thanks to the dedication of those determined to preserve and share Dean’s creative legacy.

Following his MND diagnosis, Dean continued to write remarkable poetry exploring themes such as fasciculations, the anxiety medication he relied on in his final months, and ultimately, his own death. He also created a series of humorous yet deeply poignant cartoons that captured the realities of living with the disease.

“He was always very kind and giving and always kind of the ‘soft one’ out of him and mum to us kids,” says Oisin.

While Dean wasn’t very sporty himself, he loved watching Oisin’s football and cricket games. “And then when he got sick and he was at home more, he started watching the English Premier League Football with me, we really bonded over that.”

The MND years

Like a lot of people living with MND, Dean went through more than a year of symptoms before he was finally diagnosed with the disease; a back injury caused by a fall, a potential spinal fluid leak sparking surgery, and twitching (fasciculations) in his arms.

Oisin remembers being told about the terminal MND diagnosis and bursting into tears aged 14. “I was pretty shocked, I think I just went and slept in his bed with him that night. It was pretty tough,” recalls Oisin.

Soon Dean struggled to eat due to issues with his swallowing, began talking slowly, and started slurring. Eventually, he used a whiteboard to communicate with Oisin and his family.

Dean died from MND on 30 August 2022, a little over two years after his diagnosis.

“In the last year, it was really, really hard because I was a 16-year-old in school having to care for my terminally ill dad”, says Oisin. “So, I don’t think I concentrated very well in those years at school at all.”

Clocking up the kilometres

Now studying at Waikato University, this enterprising sport and recreation student is clocking up the kilometres in preparation for the Queenstown Marathon on 14 November. Oisin’s goal is to break the four-hour mark while raising vital funds for Motor Neurone Disease NZ (MND NZ).

Through his Instagram account, @oshruns4mnd, Oisin shares his training journey, creates educational content about MND, and speaks candidly about his dad and MND. By combining personal storytelling with fundraising, he’s helping to shine a light on this devastating disease that many people are still unaware of and has no cure.

Second major fundraiser

Incredibly, this is not his first major fundraiser for MND NZ. Oisin, some school mates and a teacher from Hamilton’s Hillcrest High School raised money for MND NZ by running an ‘unofficial’ half marathon in November 2024. 

“Together we raised over $4,500 for MND research which was a massive achievement for me and gave me more of a drive to raise more money for this cause,” says Oisin.

You can do this

When the going gets tough in long training sessions the thought of Dean’s MND helps spur Oisin on. “Dad went through so much pain with the sickness, so I push through and tell myself ‘You can do this’.”

Amidst the challenges, Oisin also remembers the good times. “My dad was scared when he had MND, but he still enjoyed life to the full. He didn’t let it bother him that much. And he still did all the stuff he loved. So, I think it definitely shouldn’t stop you from chasing your dreams.”

Every step Oisin takes in Queenstown will be in memory of Dean and to help those impacted by MND. You can support Oisin’s fundraising effort on his MND NZ fundraising page

Read more about Dean’s life on Stuff

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Threnody in D flat minor

By Dean Ballinger

Let my shade flit between the mingimingi and the coffee cart,

Let my spectre boogie on the traffic island,

Let my soul echo through the gullies.

Place pumice on my eyes

And a sprig of miro in my hands

And cast my corpse out from the long gravel banks

Upriver, not down,

up through the tannins and fats,

up past the pictographs and the chimneystacks,

up into the loam and the ignimbrite,

into the desert on the slopes of the mountain,

a wilderness full of doors,

grant me passage to the chamber

where Waikato-iwi

issues forth.

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