Clarkson's Farm star Charlie Ireland has used Father's Day to raise awareness for motor neurone disease (MND), remembering his late father's 'devastating' diagnosis. The agronomist and land agent, who advises Jeremy Clarkson on the Prime Video show, shared a video to mark global MND awareness day, which fell on Sunday, the same day as Father's Day.
Poignant Timing for Awareness
Ireland noted the significance of the alignment, saying: 'Overall, I think it's a poignant day Father's Day – men are more likely to develop the disease, so the fact the global awareness day falls on Father's Day makes it just a little bit special this year.' He added: 'It's also particularly poignant for me that it lands on Father's Day – my father was affected with motor neurone disease and he died in 2011 having been diagnosed in late 2007.'
'Although nearly 15 years has passed, and time really does heal, it's an opportunity to remind people of the devasting impact of the disease. Unfortunately, it impacts far too many people and anything we can do to improve, accelerate getting an answer to a cure would be absolutely marvellous.'
Support for MND Association Campaign
Ireland has thrown his support behind the MND Association's Special Days Matter campaign as an ambassador, urging people to share memories of loved ones who suffered from the disease. He recalled his father: 'Dad had a great sense of humour and he also treated people incredibly fairly no matter who they were, which really was a powerful trait that enabled him to talk to absolutely anybody, which was a fantastic as a boy growing up.'
'Dad was a farmer, but he backed us to go and do other things with our careers, so my brother, my sister and I have all done different things, and he was incredibly supportive of whatever we did. He was quite pleased that I worked in agriculture, and we would talk quite often on our 'new' mobile phones back in the late 90s, early 2000s. He was just a great support and I really valued his advice as I grew up.'
MND Statistics and Impact
The MND Association reports that six people are diagnosed with the disease each day in the UK. MND attacks the nerves that send messages to the muscles, and within months a person may lose their voice, movement, and even the ability to breathe.
Clarkson's Own Health Message
Ireland's awareness push comes after Jeremy Clarkson urged people to get tested for prostate cancer following his own diagnosis, revealed in the latest episodes of the fifth series of Clarkson's Farm. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Clarkson said: 'This is why I have to say to everybody who's reading this, please, please, please go and get checked. It's not uncomfortable, it's not undignified and it's a no-brainer. I did, and that's why I'm sitting here talking to you.'
