Selma Blair Posts Inspiring Message For M.S. Awareness Month

This week, Selma Blair shared an inspiring message to mark Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. The actor and advocate, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (M.S.) in 2018, took to Instagram to post a powerful video montage weaving together moments from her life as a mother, public figure, and individual living with an at-times debilitating chronic illness.

The video captures a wide variety of scenes from Blair’s personal and work life, from spending time at home with her son (10-year-old Arthur), to undergoing medical treatments for M.S., to posing on the red carpet with the cane she uses to help her walk. Blair, 49, also shared clips of herself modeling for photo shoots and filming a bit with longtime friend (and Cruel Intentions costar) Sarah Michelle Gellar for the 2020 MTV Movie and TV Awards. 

“March is #MSAwareness month,” Blair wrote in the caption. “May we all find the strength to persevere.” 

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M.S. is a complex condition in which the immune system attacks healthy nerve fibers and the protective coating around the nerve fibers in the spinal cord and brain, as SELF has explained. This impacts the central nervous system, potentially causing a host of communication issues between the brain and the body. 

There are several types of M.S., and the illness can be quite varied and unpredictable in terms of the symptoms it causes, the intensity and duration of flare-ups (and periods of remission), and the level of interference in the individual’s daily life. Some of the symptoms of M.S. include issues with the eyes (like painful eye movements and vision loss), balance problems (like numbness or weakness in the legs and lack of coordination) that can cause trouble walking, digestive issues, sexual dysfunction, and depression, as SELF has reported.