Saturday, May 30, marks World Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Day, an annual event to raise awareness of the condition that close to one million people in the US are living with.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. While there is currently no cure, treatments and lifestyle support can help many people manage symptoms and protect quality of life.
The disease can present in a range of ways, and potential complications include changes to vision, difficulties with movement in the arms or legs, altered sensation or balance, muscle stiffness, numbness, and challenges related to thinking, learning, and planning.
Over the years, several well-known figures have shared what it’s like to live with MS—stories that can be especially meaningful to revisit on awareness days like this one.
Christina Applegate revealed her MS diagnosis in 2021 and has continued to speak candidly about the realities of living with the condition.
Speaking on X at the time, Applegate penned: “It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition.
“It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a**hole blocks it.”
Earlier this year, Applegate told People she still tries to take her teenage daughter Sadie to school and get her to the activities that matter to them.
“I want to take her; it’s my favorite thing to do. It’s the only time we have together by ourselves,” she said. “I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do.”
Jack Osbourne, the son of Ozzy Osbourne, was diagnosed with MS in 2012 at the age of 26. He has discussed exploring different approaches to help cope with symptoms over time.
Speaking on The Osbournes Podcast, Osbourne said: “I have had some alternative therapy treatments over the years. I do not take traditional MS medication currently.
“I had this procedure called disc seal.”
Selma Blair, best known for roles including in Legally Blonde, shared that she was diagnosed with MS in 2018 and has since offered periodic updates about her health.
She has said she has been in remission since 2021 and that her prognosis is “great,” while also acknowledging that the process hasn’t been without setbacks.
“There is a truth with neurogedenerative brain disease. It is uncomfortable. It is a stadium of uncontrollable anxiety at times,” she said in a 2019 Instagram update.
Singer and actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler first spoke publicly about MS 15 years after being diagnosed, and has since used her platform to increase understanding of the disease.
Even with the challenges MS can bring, Sigler emphasized to People in 2023 that she continues to push toward her goals.
Despite the struggles, Sigler told People in 2023: “I can still accomplish the things that I want to do, whether it be at work or at home.”
Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean has lived with MS for more than two decades, and has described noticing early warning signs while traveling in Ottawa.
She told People: I woke up one morning and literally couldn’t get out of bed. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Like I had this weighted blanket on me. I couldn’t feel the bottoms of my feet, and I also had this weird numbness in my thighs. I was like, ‘What is wrong with me?’