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Steven W. Bailey Discloses Rare Neuromuscular Disorder and Shifts Toward Wheelchair Roles

The Grey’s Anatomy alum says he is an ambulatory wheelchair user after years of keeping a congenital myasthenia syndrome diagnosis private.

Overview

  • Bailey, 54, revealed he has congenital myasthenia syndrome, a hereditary neuromuscular disorder that weakens muscles by disrupting nerve-to-muscle signaling.
  • He described growing reliance on a powered wheelchair but said he can still handle limited tasks on his feet, identifying himself as an ambulatory wheelchair user.
  • The actor said he concealed his condition for more than five years due to career caution and diagnostic uncertainty before deciding to go public.
  • He plans to seek roles that reflect wheelchair use and expressed hope to help advance on-screen representation of people who use chairs.
  • Medical summaries cited in coverage note there is no single cure for CMS and that treatment effectiveness varies by genetic subtype.