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Steven W. Bailey Discloses Rare Neuromuscular Disorder and Plans Shift to Wheelchair Roles

He says the long-private, rare genetic diagnosis is prompting a move toward portraying wheelchair users on screen.

Overview

  • The Grey's Anatomy alum revealed in a Jan. 2–3 thread on X that he has congenital myasthenia syndrome, a hereditary neuromuscular disorder.
  • Bailey said he kept the diagnosis private for more than five years due to career concerns and earlier uncertainty about the condition.
  • He described increasing reliance on a powered wheelchair and identified himself as an ambulatory wheelchair user who alternates between walking and wheeling.
  • The actor noted he can still perform on his feet in limited situations but intends to center future work on characters who use wheelchairs to boost representation.
  • Coverage citing Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic explains CMS as a group of rare genetic conditions that impair nerve-to-muscle signaling, with symptoms that worsen with activity and treatments that vary by subtype.