Actress Selma Blair walked the Oscars’ red carpet this week as her first public appearance since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) last year.
Last October, the actress famous for roles in films such as Cruel Intentions and Hellboy announced on Instagram that she has been suffering from chronic disease multiple sclerosis (MS) which affects the nervous system. Selma revealed that she thinks she may have been suffering from the neurological disease for at least 15 years but was only diagnosed last year when she fell in front of a doctor who was investigating a supposed pinched nerve.
The Oscars were Selma’s first public appearance since her diagnosis and she dazzled onlookers in her multi-coloured Ralph & Russo gown with matching cape. She also had her trusty cane – that is becoming a familiar addition on her Instagram account – as one of the symptoms of MS is a loss of balance and difficulty walking.
In her Instagram post, Selma wrote: “I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken GPS. But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best.”
Seeing Selma on the red carpet of such a highly publicised event helps to give a public platform to multiple sclerosis and will hopefully help to raise awareness of the chronic disease and to educate people on the symptoms and treatment available to them.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects almost three times as many women as it does men. Around 100,000 people in the UK are known to have the illness and it is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 60.
MS is a neurological disease that affects the brain, spinal cord and immune system. The incurable disease attacks a substance called myelin which coats and protects the nerve fibres in the central nervous system. Myelin helps messages to travel between the brain and the rest of the body. The damage caused by MS disrupts messages travelling along nerve fibres and can slow them down, distort them or prevent them from getting through entirely.
Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life but treatment and specialists can help you to manage the condition and its symptoms.
Initial symptoms of multiple sclerosis includes:
– Extreme fatigue
– Numbness or tingling in arms, legs, hands or feet
– Blurred eyesight or seeing double
– Feeling dizzy and having issues with balance
– Difficulty walking
– Problems with talking or swallowing
For more information about MS, visit the NHS or the MS Society.
At Able2 Wear we offer a range of wheelchair clothing that be suitable for anyone suffering from MS.