Charlie Bird said he hopes he will be reunited with his good friend Vicky Phelan after his death.
The former RTE broadcaster told of his gratitude to be celebrating another Christmas after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in October of last year. I meet the veteran newsman in a Greystones cafe with his beloved wife Claire and their loyal cockapoo Tiger by their side.
Asked if he believes in heaven he replies, using his voice recording device: “I don’t know... If it’s there the only person I want to meet is my new found friend Vicky Phelan. She is one of my heroes.”
Read more: Vicky Phelan tributes to feature on Friday’s Late Late Show
Expanding on his friendship with the CervicalCheck campaigner, who passed away last month, he added: “I sent a message to someone who I knew was a friend of hers. The strangest thing happened, a message appeared in my WhatsApp from, yes, Vicky, she had heard from somebody else that I would love to meet her.
“Anyway that is how our year- long relationship started. Claire, I and Tiger travelled to her home in Limerick, we spent a couple of hours with her.
“She had tea and scones ready for us, anyway to cut a long story short we hit it off as if we were long lost friends. We even joked that we both had bright eyes.
“That was the only time we met in person but it was the start of a great supportive relationship on WhatsApp. The kindness of Vicky to me was remarkable. I still have her messages and some of them are voice messages.
“When I look and listen back they make me cry. Her love and kindness just blew me away.
“Over the year we had made provisional arrangements to meet up. But each time they had to be called off, because she had to get medical treatment or return to the hospice in Limerick.”
Charlie has teamed up with The Samaritans for their latest campaign and believes his “guiding spirit” is driving him to help the terminally ill and those in a “dark place”. He plans to dedicate his remaining days to helping others and said he has no plans to “crawl away and hide” in the face of his incurable illness.
And Charlie revealed he’s hoping he’ll be well enough to see The Boss play in Dublin next May. He said: “Last year around this time I was in such a depressed state that I didn’t think I would see another Christmas.
“But thankfully I proved myself wrong, so am I going to see another Christmas... I am certain, I’m certain. My next goal is to be still mobile when Bruce Springsteen plays in Dublin next May.
Read more: Charlie Bird gives heartbreaking update as he battles Motor Neurone Disease
“I have already said that at my funeral I want Bruce’s song Land of Hope and Dreams played. I would really like to hear Brucey playing this song next May.”
Charlie looks well but he writes in his notebook for Claire to explain that “looks can be deceiving”. Claire said: “He looks so well, physically but it’s a progressive disease.
“For some with MND, it starts in their legs and then they end up in a wheelchair in nine months. They can’t speak or move, for Charlie it’s his speech and swallow and he’s had it for a year.
“He feels it’s moving down his body, there’s desperate fatigue with MND too. I’m not angry, it’s just depressing that he has MND.
“Bird looks great, when we’re out people tell him he looks amazing, It’s very comforting that people are so lovely to him.”
Climb with Charlie saw supporters reach the top of Croagh Patrick last April and raise more than €3million for Pieta House and the Irish MND Association. He said: “Yes strange things have happened to me over the past year, but I can’t believe what I have achieved over the past 12 months.
“I have had this feeling for many months now that some guiding spirit has been with me and urging me on. But besides that spirit, the people who supported Climb with Charlie are the real heroes.
“These are thousands and thousands of people all across Ireland and abroad who in my view have extended the hand of friendship.
“Last week on behalf of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, I handed over a cheque for €275,000 to Professor Orla Hardiman for research into MND. With that guiding spirit on my shoulder I am going to continue to extend that hand to everyone in a dark place who has their own mountains to climb every day.
“Also, I am not the only one with a terminal illness.”
Read more: Charlie Bird says he's remaining positive in his health battle
His Christmas wish has in part been granted, he explains: “In a way it has, because I am still alive. But another of my wishes has not, trying to find a way to find a breakthrough for this dreadful illness, but hopefully one day it will be found.”
His daughters Neasa, Orla and his wife and family and friends give the 73-year old legend strength. He added: “I cry uncontrollably, it’s a symptom of my motor neurone and I can’t change that either. In a way I can’t be scared of anything, what is happening to me I can’t change that.”
His ‘love of friends’ lifts him up everyday as does the kindness of strangers. He explains: “When I’m out walking, people stop and ask me how I am doing. I have no voice to answer but I move my hand and try to indicate that I’m getting on with living.
“I want to survive as long as I can but my main goal now is to try to help everyone who has a terminal illness and to extend the hand of friendship.”
- Samaritans 24-Hour freephone helpline 116 123 offers a safe and supportive space for anyone who is distressed, struggling to cope, needs to talk or is feeling suicidal.
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