By Jordan Lloyd Beck

Copyright mirror

Charlotte Hawkins issued a heartfelt statement to Lewis Moody and his family on Monday morning following his MND diagnosis. The sports star, 47, admitted as he shared the news that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease that he is not yet ready to face up to the full implications of the diagnosis, which took the lives of fellow rugby stars Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow.

Good Morning Britain star Charlotte, 50, lost her father to the condition and is now a ambassador for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, made a special appearance on Monday’s edition of the ITV programme to send her condolences to the England rugby star and his family.

She said: “It is a shocking, devastating illness to get and my heart goes out to Lewis Moody and his family. He spoke there about having to break to the news to his children. I remember when my dad told us and my first thought was [about] looking for a cure, we will get you through this. And I very quickly realised there isn’t a cure, there aren’t effective treatments that can help you with this. The sad thing is a third dying within a year of diagnosis and more than half die two years after diagnosis.

“There are still big questions as to why big questions about why so many elite sports are being diagnosed. They’re doing studies right now to find out what is going on. My heart goes out to them and I send them all my love this morning.”

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