Popular CBC Radio host Andy Barrie has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“About a year ago, I started to notice that my walking wasn’t working the way it used to, and that my handwriting wasn’t looking the way it should,” the host of Toronto’s Metro Morning said.
Barrie says he is at an early stage of Parkinson’s, and that “there’s no reason to believe I shouldn’t be able to function in every way I love to for years and years to come.”"And that will include, at least for the next three years I hope, waking you up every morning, as long as my old bod allows me to keep answering that 4 a.m. wake up call.”
“Michael J. Fox went seven years before he finally revealed his early-onset Parkinson’s. I read Michael’s book, and concluded I didn’t want to make this a secret. So I’m now coming out as a guy with a disability,” Barrie wrote. “Disabled, but not unable.”
Barrie, who has hosted the regional Toronto morning radio show for 12 years, said on-air Friday that he is taking much of the summer off to “chill out” and is scheduled to return in mid-August.
The American-born Barrie has been a Canadian broadcaster for more than 30 years. He has worked at Global Television, and radio stations CJAD in Montreal and CFRB in Toronto. He joined the CBC in 1995 to host Metro Morning, which has grown to become the top-rated morning radio show in the city.
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Sad news - as an avid Metro Morning listener and CBC employee, I’d like to wish Andy the best and hope that he can continue doing the show for as long as possible.
[...] Andy Barrie diagnosed with Parkinson’s Metro Morning is my most favoritist morning show. Andy Barrie is awesome. Published by bennymoto 1 minute ago [...]
Parkinson’s is no fun but it is not a death sentence. It can be frustrating, irritating, annoying, embarrassing and be unnoticed to all but the one who has it and his/her neurologist. I commend Andy on going puble. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in letting people know. I did the same when I got the word 5 years ago and, since then, have been working on doing all that I can while I am able.
If you want to help, donate your time or money to the Parkinson’s Society of Canada. Or stop using pesticides and herbicides which have been linked to PD.
I have raised the most donations in the City of Barrie in three of the last four years for SuperWalk. I imagine Andy could do quite well as a fund raiser and I hope he will give it some thought.
If readers wish to sponsor me in the SuperWalk, please let me know at peter@peterthompson.ca or buy my CD and I will send $1 from each sale to the Parkinson’s Society. Listen to samples at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/peterthompson
I look forward to meeting Andy and wish him well!
-Peter
Oops! Webmaster, please correct my typo (above) where it says “puble” and should, of course, be “public”. Thanks!