After struggling in silence for over a decade, actress Emma Caulfield revealed in a new Vanity Fair interview that she is living with multiple sclerosis (MRS).
A progressive disease that damages the central nervous system. Symptoms of MS may include numbness, speech disorders, blurred vision, severe fatigue, and altered muscle coordination.
The WandaVision star, 49, said she was diagnosed in 2010 after experiencing unusual numbness on the left side of her face. An MRI revealed the diagnosis, which Caulfield described as “kind of a nightmare.”
“I had a missed call from the doctor’s office, so I called back… And he said, ‘You have MS.’ It was like an out-of-body experience,” Caulfield told the publication. “I’m like, ‘No, that’s not possible. What are you talking about?’ He was very down-to-earth about it. “Well, you can get a second opinion…” It was literally a nightmare of sorts. I thought, ‘Am I going to die? How bad? What’s happening?’ I was so overwhelmed and quite hysterical.”
Despite the initial shock, Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum assured fans that she is “good now” in her MS journey.
“It’s weird to say when you get a diagnosis like that, but honestly, my attitude doesn’t crumble under the fear of ‘what if’ or ‘what can’ or ‘what has’ for other people to keep going.” she added.
Caulfield Shares Why She Reveals a Diagnosis Ten Years Later
Though Caulfield was initially driven to keep her MS diagnosis private for fear of being barred from future roles due to ability, the actress says she decided to finally share her story so she no longer hides the diagnosis from her six-year-old daughter.
“I’m so tired of not being honest. And beyond that, my daughter has changed my perspective, as I think anyone who is a parent can attest. I know she has a 30% greater chance of dealing with this, just good luck with the draw for her. She’s six. She’s just started first grade… I thought of her and how full of joy and active she is, and she’s just such a remarkable little creature,” Caulfield gushed .
But Caulfield admits she feels like she hasn’t done everything she can for her daughter, who she shares with her husband, Mark Leslie Ford.
“I don’t really do everything for her because I have my mouth shut. If I have a platform at all, I should use it,” she said. “Even if it affects my ability to get a job… It’s better for me to at least talk about this and be there to try and help the MS Foundation and other groups that are doing research.”
More information about the MS Foundation can be found at: her website.