Selma Blair sat down with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America in an interview that aired on ABC yesterday, where she opened up about her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis.
In the interview, Selma thanks Robin for allowing her to show people what being in the middle of a battle with an aggressive form of MS is really like.
As the video shows, her voice has changed, and she explains that her voice spasms, causing her speech to be broken.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. When these areas of the body are affected, it’s common to see issues with vision, balance, and muscle control.
Selma is a single mother to her son Arthur. In the interview with Robin Roberts, Selma reveals that when she told him about her diagnosis, he cried, asking her if this was going to kill her. When she told him that this wasn’t the case, he seemed happy and relieved with the news.
Blair recently shared a photo from the red carpet at this weekend’s Oscars, thanking her friend Troy for being there for her and helping her walk down the carpet. She also revealed that she was thankful that she could attend, giving a shoutout to several celebrity friends.
Selma Blair tells Robin in the GMA interview that when she got her diagnosis, she cried. It wasn’t so much the diagnosis itself, but more than she had to let go to her body. As she later points out, she had previously tried to seek medical help from doctors, who kept telling her that she was probably exhausted as a single mother and stressed out due to financial strain.
Blair explains that she had experienced symptoms for years but doctors never diagnosed her. After she finally got her diagnosis, she felt relief that she knew what she was dealing with. In October last year, she shared that news of her diagnosis on her Instagram profile.
Blair reached out to Michael J. Fox, who has lived with Parkinson’s disease for over 30 years. The two started talking and she tells Robin that talking to him about her condition has given her hope for the future.
As for the future, doctors appear to be optimistic. Selma Blair reveals that doctors are hopeful that she will have 90 per cent of her abilities back in just a year. If not, she hopes to still be able to have a conversation. Robin Roberts and Selma made a date for a year from now, so she can continue to spread awareness of MS.
Selma Blair stars in new Netflix original series Another Life, and has several other acting projects in the works. She’s also planning on creating fashionable canes for those in need, and creating MS-friendly clothing, as she struggles to button pants and shirts.