Selma’s sad battle
Aftera devastating diagnosis, the actress is hanging on to hope
Behind the smiles, actress Selma Blair has been leading a life of sorrow, troubled for years by a mysterious health condition. Now, the 46-yearold finally has some answers, having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Stoically, the star of Cruel Intentions has vowed to stay strong since discovering in August that she has the autoimmune disease, which affects the central nervous system. And the inspiration behind her fight to stay healthy is her beloved seven-year-old son Arthur.
Although Selma admits it’s “overwhelming” and she constantly wants to sleep, she’s determined to battle on for the sake of her little boy.
“I am a forthcoming person and I want my life to be full somehow,” she wrote on October 20, when she broke the news on Instagram. “I want to play with my son again. I want to walk down the street and ride my horse. I have MS and I am OK.”
Hardtimes
Putting on a brave face, the actress went on to detail some of her symptoms.
“I am disabled,” she wrote. “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. I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely, but I will do my best.”
Selma initially believed she had a pinched nerve until her friend and fellow actress Elizabeth Berkley persuaded her to see her brother Jason Berkley, who’s a doctor.
Although the diagnosis is scary, the actress is relieved to finally get to the bottom of symptoms that had been troubling her for years.
“I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least,” she reveals. “And I am relieved to at least know. And share.”
Selma, who’s currently filming the Netflix sci-fi drama AnotherLife, has a network of close friends to lean on as she comes to terms with the disease. Among those she thanked were Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jaime King.
“I love you, I’m proud of you and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” Sarah shared after Selma made the announcement.
Jaime added, “Always and forever, I will take care of you, love you and hold you. You are the strongest woman I know. We will get through this because you are a warrior.”