Charlie Bird shares emotional health update including “nightmare” symptom

Charlie Bird has shared a heartbreaking update on his motor neurone disease.

The former RTÉ journalist was diagnosed with the disease in 2021 and has been sharing his health updates over the past two years.

Now, he has confessed that he has “taken a bad turn recently”.

He appeared on Ireland AM, speaking to Tommy Bowe and Muireann O’Connell about the realities of living with the illness.

“My motor neurone has taken a bad turn recently,” he explained using his speech-generating device.

I have lost all power in my left hand and now the power in my right hand and arm has gotten really bad as well, so eating with my right hand is now getting much worse.”

He then went on to speak about the “nightmare” that he is living with.

“The other nightmare I face every morning is coughing fits.”

 

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Tommy then asked him how he would like to be remembered to which Charlie replied: “Firstly I want to say for someone who failed every examination I did. Never went to university, I was so lucky I got a career in journalism and then working for public service broadcasting.

“So how do I want to be remembered? Well, firstly for my career in journalism and now for my honest campaign for all of us to extend the hand of friendship to everyone in dark places.

“As I have said earlier while I’m alive I want to continue working for that goal. Please, please look at me and extend the hand of friendship.”

It comes as Charlie shared that he needed help from his neighbour over the weekend.

“Like most of you I will not forget Ireland’s great victory last night,” he wrote on social media.

“But at the end I slipped from the sofa and fell to the ground, Claire could not get me up, eventually a great neighbour extended the hand of friendship and got me up. Yes it was scary,but I’m ok now. Thanks.”