Steven W. Bailey is sharing how his latest well being analysis reshaped each his day-to-day actuality and his profession.
Throughout a Friday, January 9 look on Good Morning America, the 54-year-old actor opened up about being recognized with Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (CMS) in 2020, a uncommon genetic neuromuscular dysfunction that causes muscle weak point. Bailey, recognized for roles on Gray’s Anatomy and Fashionable Household, recalled the second one thing felt significantly mistaken.
“I attempted to show my hand with a screwdriver, and my whole arm simply went right into a lockdown scenario,” he stated, describing the early signs. “There’s a variety of non-public moments of every part sort of falling aside, after which, you understand, you must sort of bolster your self again up and attempt to keep optimistic.”
Bailey first disclosed his analysis simply after the brand new yr in an open letter shared on X, the place he defined, “It seems I’ve a fairly uncommon genetic neuromuscular dysfunction… It’s referred to as Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome, or CMS.” Mayo Clinic says that CMS is attributable to a gene change that impacts how nerves talk with muscle groups, resulting in weak point that worsens with exercise and may affect motion, speech, and respiration.
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Whereas Bailey notes that the situation often will get him out of family chores, it has additionally introduced main changes. He now makes use of a powered wheelchair and identifies as an ambulatory wheelchair consumer. “I ambulate some, then I sit, I ‘wheelchair’ about, ambulate, sit,” he defined.
He additionally mentioned how the added use of the mobility support has added some confusion for him: “This duality can result in some humorous interactions. Like me utilizing my wheelchair in a division retailer, whereas nonetheless having the “tall man” behavior of standing as much as assist somebody get one thing off the highest shelf. [Life] could be odd.”
That shift has additionally influenced his work. “I can nonetheless carry out on my ft, limitedly,” Bailey stated, earlier than including that it’s time for his roles to “begin skewing extra wheelchair.” Somewhat than stepping again, he sees alternative forward—each for himself and for illustration onscreen. “I believe there’s an actual alternative to point out folks onscreen who’re like me, ambulatory wheelchair customers,” he stated. “I believe it might be a extremely attention-grabbing exploration of a personality.”
