Revelations by the well-known broadcaster, Charlie Bird, about his diagnosis and battle with motor neurone disease has had a significant impact on raising public awareness of the condition in Ireland, according to a new study.
Researchers found there were several surges of interest in motor neurone disease (MND) in internet searches in the past two years, which coincided with a number of public announcements by the former RTÉ chief news correspondent about his health.
The report, whose findings are published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, said one of the more positive by-products of “celebrity consumerism” is the increased public awareness of a disease or genetic condition created by celebrity health disclosures.
It cited examples such as the revelation by the actor, Angelina Jolie, about her BRCA 1 gene and subsequent mastectomy which resulted in a global surge in genetic clinic referrals which was branded the “Angelina effect.”
Similarly, health disclosures from actors Selena Gomez and Hugh Jackman demonstrated an increase in public awareness about diseases like lupus and basal cell carcinoma respectively.
One of the authors of the report, Michael Curran of the University of Galway’s School of Medicine, said they wanted to determine the effect of the reporter’s diagnosis on public awareness of MND.
They analysed data on internet searches in Ireland for the disease between January 2021 and October 2023.
Researchers found the first and largest surge in interest occurred between October 24th and October 30th in 2021 which corresponded with Mr Bird’s announcement via his Twitter account of his diagnosis with MND.
A second spike coincided with his appearance on RTÉ’s Late Late Show on December 11, 2021 with a third spike noted following his successful climb of Croagh Patrick in April 2022.
The study noted the results of a separate analysis of internet searches for both “motor neurone disease” and “Charlie Bird” showed similar spikes which correlated seamlessly with the other surges in interest in the disease.
It also discovered a fourth surge between January 2nd and January 8th, 2022 which was linked to the “Climb with Charlie” campaign which the broadcaster launched via his Twitter account.
Dr Curran said the results denoted Mr Bird’s “unquestionable impact” on raising public awareness of the disease in the Republic.
“By sharing his experiences of living with MND, Charlie Bird has demonstrated the positive impact a high-profile broadcaster can have on public health awareness,” said Dr Curran.
He added: “Mr Bird has not only raised awareness of MND in Ireland but galvanized his efforts by raising much-needed funds for charity.”
The former RTÉ journalist has raised over €3.6m for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and Pieta through his “Climb with Charlie” campaign for which he received an award at the Global Alliance for World Public Relations and Communication Awards last month.
Last week, Mr Bird informed the public via his Twitter account that his MND was “changing fast” and he was having to use a feeding tube.
The 74-year-old broadcaster revealed he would soon need to use a mobility travelator to get out and about.
He also announced that a stone to mark his fundraising climb of Croagh Patrick in April 2022 will have a permanent home in the village of Murrisk at the foot of the mountain in Co Mayo.
