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(Continued from page 15)
“I have MS, but MS does not have me,
and I’m not going to let it,” he says. “That’s
the difference. I may be ill, but I am not
weak, and I’m not going to let myself be
weak. If my body plays tricks on me, then
I’ll be as strong as I can be in whatever body
I have.
“I work very hard at making sure I stay on
top of my medications, my diet, everything
I need to stay on top of to counterbal
ance the negative effects of this illness.
To answer the question of how I'm doing,
I’m doing incredibly well for a person
with MS, but I stay at it every day.”
He’s also committed to using his
celebrity to find a cure. He established
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Williams was diagnosed with MS in 1999.
the Montel Williams MS Foundation, which has raised
more than SI million to date, to further scientific study
of the disease. “Every single penny that the public has
given me has gone back out and been-put in the hands of
research,” he says. He’s increased national awareness of the
disease by devoting numerous episodes of his TV show to
the topic, delivering public speeches and pressing drug
companies to find a cure.
“I’m so impressed personally with Montel because it
took a lot of courage for him to go public," says Joyce
Nelson, president and CEO of the National MS Society.
“He has put a real face on MS and he has been willing to
commit to very publicly speaking about the disease. Now,
more and more, when I say I work with MS, people say,
Isn’t that what Montel Williams has?’ That has made a
tremendous difference. The people who have MS know
that there is someone who is really fighting for them and
is willing to use his platform and influence to bring more
awareness to the disease.”
A greater understanding
Williams doesn't view his MS as a tragedy because its
brought him a greater understanding of himself and oth
ers, and now he’s less judgmental and more aware of the
needs of those around him. '‘lt’s made me live every day to
the fullest," he says. "I don’t put stoppers on it. Also, the
longer I stay on this journey with this illness, the more
open and honest it makes me.”
He’s intent on fostering a positive attitude and instill
ing that sense of honesty in his own four children, who
range in age from 12 to 23, so they'll be equipped to
conquer whatever roadblocks that come along, whether it’s
a negative comment or a debilitating
disease. “I truthfully try my best
to make sure they understand
that no one else can define who
they are,” he says. “Not me, not
their mother, not their teacher, |
(Continued on page 19)
“l may be ill,
but I am not
weak, and I’m
not going to
let myself be
weak.”
Paramount Domestic Television
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•American Profile
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