By Gavin Boyle
After 30 years of living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), country music star Clay Walker shared that the disease has recently started to progress and is beginning to affect his day-to-day life.
“At the beginning of the year, I noticed I was having a lot of difficulty with balance and walking, and it really started to worry me,” Walker told PEOPLE. “I knew I had to do something.”
To help combat the worsening of the disease, Walker underwent a surgery in March to implant a pump which would release medicine directly into his spinal fluid to help with muscle spasms and tension.
Related: Selma Blair Does Not ‘Live In Fear’ Of MS Diagnosis
“The surgery gave me a lot of hope. But, so far, you know, it’s not great. It hasn’t done what I wanted it to. Balance has been an issue lately,” Walker explained. “Am I walking perfect? No. Am I walking better? Absolutely. I got on a treadmill the other day without a harness holding me up to keep from falling, and I walked for five minutes. That is progress.”
His ability to continue to be on his feet is incredible given the nature of MS. The disease is a progressive nerve disease which interrupts the connection between the brain and the rest of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Considering Walker has been fighting the disease for 30 years, it is surprising how resilient he has been. Walker has shared his gratitude for remaining healthy and being allowed to continue his career despite his battle with MS.
“I feel blessed to continue to be so healthy. Sometimes I would feel guilty because I know not everyone who is diagnosed with MS is that lucky,” he said when discussing how his foundation helps MS research. “I want to help those with MS who have not been so fortunate by providing them with both a resource for information about MS, and the hope that somebody else is helping to raise money to find MS treatments and a cure for this disease.”
The Clay Walker Foundation does just that by not only providing funding for research but also providing resources for those who are affected by the disease, because as the body breaks down, cost of living can become overwhelming.
“As someone who has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for several years, I decided to DO something about it,” Walker said when explaining the heart behind his foundation. “After being diagnosed in April of 1996 with Relapsing Remitting MS, the first thing that crossed my mind was, ‘exactly what is MS?’ The truth is, not much is known about the cause of MS and there is currently not a ‘cure.’
Please keep Walker in your prayers as he continues to fight this disease, especially now that after 30 years it is becoming harder and harder for his body to properly function.
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