I Googled my symptoms... and realised I was in trouble
Rugby legend Doddie tells of MND fears
HE was the master of Murrayfield, whose 6ft 6in frame and prowess on the pitch made him a fearsome opponent.
Now Doddie Weir, who was this year diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), has told of the fear he felt after first noticing his symptoms.
The Scottish rugby legend, who won 61 caps during a 16-year career, said he had concerns after losing power in his left hand but thought perhaps he had injured himself while farming.
Other symptoms, though, made him think there could be a wider issue and he searched online.
In TV interviews to be shown today, he says: ‘I noticed other wee changes. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do but I had a look online. When I read that, and saw what the condition meant, I realised I could be in a bit of trouble.’
His first in-depth interviews in the wake of his diagnosis also reveal his frustration at the slow progress in the search for a cure.
The 47-year-old, who has three sons, said he lives in hope that drugs will be developed to combat the condition, which progressively damages the nervous system.
He said: ‘There is frustration and that is with the lack of a solution – for the moment. But the apparent shortage of news or progress in finding new drugs to suppress the onset or fight the disease is frustrating – something I share with other sufferers.’
Last week, the former forward launched the Doddie Weir’5 Discretionary Trust, which aims to provide help to Weir and his family.
A foundation, My Name’5 Doddie, is also to be set up to raise funds for research into MND and to provide grants to people living with the condition.
Weir said: ‘I’m not too bad – probably quite well in terms of what the condition can do. I have some problems with my hands just now, so it can be quite tricky when doing a tie or some buttons on a shirt.
‘I might be lucky it started with my hands. Other people it could be their voice or when they are eating, or legs. I can do most things – just a wee bit slower.
‘But you have to remember I may have had this condition for maybe a couple of years. So I’m getting on not too bad. I can still walk, still talk, still drive the car, so not too bad. And hopefully that’ll be the same for quite a long time.’
One of the first places he sought counselling was with the J9 Foundation in South Africa, set up after World Cup winner Joost van der Westhuizen, who died in February at the age of 45, was himself diagnosed with MND.
Weir initially revealed his diagnosis on Twitter in June, to coincide with Global MND Awareness Day, vowing to assist Edinburgh University researchers in their efforts to find a cure.
The Murrayfield fans’ favourite now works as a corporate hospitality host at the national stadium.
Born in Edinburgh, George ‘Doddie’ Weir made his Scotland debut at 20, going on to play in three World Cups and tour with the Lions in 1997.
He turned professional in 1995, joining Newcastle Falcons and helping them win the league in 1998. A year later, he played in Scotland’s Five Nations campaign and finished his career in 2004 with the Border Reivers.
He lives in Stow, Selkirkshire, and combines his hospitality role with media work and a job in an environmental services company.
MND is a family of related conditions characterised by erosion in the function of the nerves that connect the brain to muscles around the body.
In some cases the onset can be quick but for others, deterioration takes decades. There are around 5,000 sufferers in the UK, most 50 or older, and men are more susceptible than women.
‘I’m getting on not too bad’