Steven W. Bailey opened up about his health diagnosis.
THE Grey’s Anatomy The star shared a lengthy update on X (formerly Twitter) about being diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder known as congenital myasthenia syndrome, or CMS.
The actor wrote: “You may know me from Grey’s Anatomy as Joe the Bartender – or from appearances on Modern Family, You, Chicago Fire or another appearance. I’d like to share with you something important about my life and career.”
In his “open letter,” Steven shared, “It turns out I suffer from a rather rare genetic neuromuscular disorder. Weird, right? It’s called congenital myasthenia syndrome, or CMS.”
“Not to be confused with the most common autoimmune disease, myasthenia gravis, which you’ve probably heard of… your uncle’s friend has that one, I think. Out of professional caution, diagnostic uncertainty, and concerns for confidentiality about this sort of thing in general, I have hidden my battle with this disease for over five years. It’s time to stop,” he wrote.
He added: “CMS is a genetic disease that disrupts communication between the brain and muscle at the ‘nerve/muscle junction’… or whatever doctors call it. There are billions of these junctions in a body, and an increasing number of mine seem to blink. Awkward, little buggers, isn’t it?”
According to Steven, “the result is that my hands, arms, and legs tire faster than they should, making them weaker than, well…expected. Sustained repetitive movements are particularly difficult and can cause my muscles to tighten and temporarily shut down.”
“The truth is that as my illness progresses, I use an electric wheelchair more and more to get around. Professionally, it changes me as an actor,” the actor said.
Steven W. Bailey wrote: “Practically, going forward, it is time for my work, as in my life, to start skewing more wheelchair-biased, if you will. Those days are truly over.
“But now I am here – I am done hiding – with a clear understanding of my illness, the wheels firmly in place, ready for the next chapter of my life and career,” he added.
