Jack Osbourne's announcement that he has been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis (MS) is the latest case of a celebrity or famous name deciding to make public knowledge what is clearly already a huge private challenge.
Famous names from Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Crowe to Martin Kemp and Russell Watson have all at various times revealed intimate details of conditions and treatments they have undergone, sometimes not until a long time afterwards, but often impressively forthrightly.
Jack Osbourne has resolved that life will go on as usual following his MS diagnosis
Obviously, for some there is no choice in the matter. Fans around the world were horrified when Christopher Reeve was thrown from his horse and suffered a neck injury that changed his life. They were equally inspired as he spent the rest of his life drawing attention to the need for advancements in stem cell research, using his fame to take the case of millions of others to the corridors of Washington, and raise millions of dollars through his Foundation.
On the other side of the Atlantic, British TV presenter Gail Porter could have hidden her bald alopecia-affected head under an assortment of wigs, but has opted to reveal her condition, no doubt inspiring many others in the process.
And it does mean, by coming forward and controlling how the news is reported to the curious masses, these public faces have one less problem on their hands - of dodging prying questions and camera lenses poking around doctors' doorways as they go about their business of managing their condition. Even the ever-snapping jaws of the press seem to be able to control themselves a bit and conduct themselves relatively respectably in the face of such circumstances, shared and openly discussed.
Michael C Hall accepted his Golden Globe for Dexter, in the middle of gruelling chemo for Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Such celebrity association, involuntary though it may be, no doubt helps those charities struggling to find a platform for sometimes neglected conditions. Michael J Fox has put Parkinson's Disease on the big and small screen - and by continuing to work while managing his condition through medication, so he shouts the message that other similarly-affected people shouldn't be written off either.
And having such a high-profile name attached to any cause no doubt makes it easier to create fundraisers, charity events and raise funds for research, treatments and help fill many of the gaps that we would never otherwise hear about.
Even the professionally-curmudgeonly Christopher Hitchen remarked on the emotionally uplifting benefit of receiving messages of good wishes and encouragement from so many strangers. As he noted in an interview with Jeremy Paxman, one thing he had learnt from his long battle for health, that if there was the opportunity for a kind word to be shared, everyone should take that opportunity as the benefit was "immense and unexpected".
So best wishes to you, Jack Osbourne, and all of those who've found similar solace in public support...
