Multiple sclerosis (MS) formerly known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata), is a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
There is as yet no cure for MS. Many patients do well with no therapy at all, especially since many medications have serious side effects and some carry significant risks. However, three forms of beta interferon (Avonex, Betaseron, and Rebif) have now been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of relapsing-remitting MS.
A physician may diagnose MS in some patients soon after the onset of the illness. In others, however, doctors may not be able to readily identify the cause of the symptoms, leading to years of uncertainty and multiple diagnoses.
Multiple sclerosis affects an estimated 300,000 people in the United States and probably more than 1 million people around the world. MS effects twice as many females as males.
Famous People with Multiple Sclerosis:
Richard Pryor - Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is also regarded as the most important stand up comedian of his time. Pryor grew up in his grandmother's brothel, where his mother, Gertrude L. Thomas, practiced prostitution. His father, LeRoy "Buck" Pryor (a.k.a. Buck Carter) was a former bartender, boxer, and World War II veteran who worked as his wife's pimp. In 1991, Pryor announced that he had been suffering from multiple sclerosis since 1986. In response to giving up drugs after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he said: “God gave me this M.S. sh*t to save my life".
Donna Fargo - (born Yvonne Vaughan on November 10, 1945 in Mount Airy, North Carolina) is a country music singer and songwriter. She is best known by pop fans for her 1972 country/pop crossover hit "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA." Fargo's follow-up song, "Funny Face", proved to be another Country/Pop crossover hit. In 1979, Fargo announced that she had multiple sclerosis, yet vowed to fight it and continue on with her career. Although seldom discussing health issues in interviews, the disease appears to have been in remission for many years. Fargo has long been a source of inspiration for others similarly afflicted.
William Hartnell - William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, the first actor to play the lead role of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell was cast as the first of eight actors to portray TV's Doctor Who. This internationally popular sci-fi series made Hartnell a star all over again however multiple sclerosis forced him to relinquish the role to Patrick Troughton in 1966. Hartnell entered the theatre in 1924 working under Frank Benson. In 1928 he appeared in the play Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner, by R. N. Stephens and E. Lyall Swete, along with the actress Heather McIntyre. Doctor Who earned Hartnell a regular salary of £315 per episode by 1966. In comparison, his co-stars Anneke Wills and Michael Craze earned £68 and £52 per episode at the same time. In early 1975, he suffered a series of strokes brought on by cerebrovascular disease and died peacefully in his sleep of heart failure on 23 April 1975 at the age of 67.
Clive Burr - (born March 8, 1957, East Ham, East London) was the drummer in the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Clive had a unique style of drumming when playing for Iron Maiden, often he would craft fills and beats which closely followed the riffs played by the bass and guitars. Excellent examples of this are "Phantom of the Opera","Wrathchild" and "Genghis Khan". Clive used Ludwig drums and Paiste Cymbals on the first two Maiden albums. His most recognised kit was his 1982 custom Tama kit used on the "Beast on the Road Tour". Burr has since been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the treatment of which left him deeply in debt. Iron Maiden staged a series of charity concerts and were involved in the founding of the Clive Burr MS Trust Fund.
Alan Osmond - Alan Ralph Osmond (born June 22, 1949) was a member of the 1970s music group The Osmonds and the head of the Osmond Family. Osmond dated the Carpenters' lead singer, Karen Carpenter. He married Suzanne Pinegar on July 16, 1974; they have eight sons. Alan kept the Osmond Brothers together for almost 40 years. Throughout the 1970s, he made every crucial decision and managed to keep a steady, equal pay for his younger brothers. Because of Donny Osmond's break with the group, Alan and the other members of the group were unable to perform live for almost two years. Eventually Alan was unable to perform due to multiple sclerosis. In 2000, Alan received the Dorothy Corwin Spirit of Life Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Socity.
Margaret Leighton - (February 26, 1922 – January 13, 1976) was an English actress. Leighton's Broadway debut was as the Queen in Henry IV (1946) starring Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson during a visit to America of the Old Vic company, which performed a total of five plays from its repertoire before returning to London. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in Separate Tables (1956); she won another Tony in that category for The Night of the Iguana (1962), playing Hannah Jelkes opposite Bette Davis as Maxine Faulk. Margaret Leighton died of multiple sclerosis, aged 53, in Chichester, West Sussex.
Jonathan Katz - (born December 1, 1946 [1]) is an American comedian, actor, and voice actor who is best known for his starring role in the animated sitcom Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. In 1996, Katz was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The initial symptoms began in 1996: "I was working on a TV show called Ink with Ted Danson, and after every episode we would take a curtain call and I noticed that I needed a head-start." Over time, he found it difficult to hide his physical condition behind his jokes: "I was producing a show, and it was too physical a job for me to get from one location to another and I had to pretend I could keep up with everybody. My manager and attorney said, 'In Hollywood you can't be old or sick.' Hiding his condition became too much of a burden for Katz and he eventually disclosed it. Now he speaks publicly as part of a tour sponsored by a manufacturer of medications used to treat MS.
David "Squiggy" Lander - (born June 22, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, composer, musician, and baseball scout. David is also the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lander has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies including The Bob Newhart Show, Barney Miller, Happy Days, Married... with Children, Twin Peaks, The Weird Al Show, Mad About You, as well as voice roles for animation films like The Big Bang, A Bug's Life and the animated TV series Galaxy High as the six-armed Milo de Venus.
Barbara Jordan - (February 21, 1936 – January 17, 1996) was an American politician from Texas. She served as a congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. In 1973, Jordan began to suffer from multiple sclerosis. She had difficulty climbing stairs, and she started using a cane and eventually a wheelchair. She kept the state of her health out of the press so well that in the KUT radio documentary Rediscovering Barbara Jordan, former president Bill Clinton stated that he wanted to nominate Jordan for the United States Supreme Court, but by the time he could do so, Jordan's health problems prevented him from nominating her.
Adam Riedy - US Speed Skater
Alastair Hignell - International Rugby Player, Cricketer and BBC Sports Commentator
Alison Peebles - Actress most famous for her Taggart role
Allan Eagleson - Hockey impresario & lawyer
Annette Funicello - singer, dancer, former Mouseketeer
Michael Blake - Hollywood screenwriter, "Dances with Wolves"
Michael Frimkess - Potter
Michael R. Duval - Investment Banker and White House Lawyer Under Nixon and Ford
Michel Dupuis - Canadian football player (linebacker for Ottawa, Winnipeg & Toronto)
Miquel Martm i Pol - Catalan poet
Mitch Terpstra - Athlete and Althetics Coach
Montel Williams - talk show host and actor
Nancy Mairs - novelist
Natalie Mandzhavidze - NASA Physicist
Neil Cavuto - lead anchor on Fox News Channel
Nicky Broyd - BBC Radio Journalist
Nicola Griffith - Author
Norah Vincent - Journalist
Paul Novoselick - Chronicle staff writer and columnist
Paul Wellstone - US Senator, Minnesota
Paul Willey - Virtual Golf Champion
Paul Wolfskehl - 19th century German industrialist and amateur mathematician
Rachelle Breslow - author
Rich Warden - Racecar Driver
Richard Berghammer - Wildlife Painter
Richard Cohen - journalist (married to actress Meridith Viera)
Richard Radtke - Scientist and Winner Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Robert "Wingnut" Weaver - Actor
Robin Gurr - poet
Roger MacDougall - British playwright
Roland 'Chubby' Cloutier - TV Entertainer
Roman Gabriel - American football player (Los Angeles Rams 1962-72)
Ronald Rogers - Concert Pianist
Ronnie Lane - musician with The Faces (Rod Stewart's old band)
Sarah P. Gibbs - Biologist - Winner of 2003 Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal
Sean Coman - (Sean Donahue) - Californian disk jockey
Sharon Summerall - model (married to Don Henley (singer with The Eagles)
Sir Augustus Frederic D'Este - (1794-1848) - grandson of King George III of England, 1st documented case of MS
Stan Belinda - baseball player
Stanley Elkin - writer
Stanley Knowles - Canadian Politician (1942-1984)
Stephanie Stephens - golfer
Stephen White - Author
Stewart Henry - UK disc-jockey
Susan Kisslinger - Author
Tamia - R&B singer (Grammy Nominee)
Teri Garr - Actress (Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, Close Encounters and others)
Valerie Jankowski Skrabut - artist and musician.
Victor Willing - Artist
Victoria Williams - Singer
Vince Smith - Country singer Vince Smith had a hit record with a song called "My Annette" after his friend and idol Annette Funicello. Vince now has MS.
Wally Wakefield - Ski jumper and sports columnist
Wayne Dobson - magician
Wendy Carol Roth - Television producer, writer and Advocate for the Disabled
Wendy Lill - Canadian Politician
William Newman - artist
Yury Tynianov - Russian Novelist and literary critic.
NOTE: Disabled World has assembled this list from both online and offline resources. If you know of a discrepancy in this article please contact us so we can ammend the entry.
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