96% of people living with a disability have one you are not able to see. Invisible disabilities are usually synonymous with invisible illnesses which are chronic and lifelong. While the everyday person may not be able to see these disabilities, they still affect everyday life for those who have them. A lot of these illnesses have similar symptoms, such as fatigue, low grade fevers, severe pain, cognitive dysfunction, learning differences, mental disorders, dizziness, weakness, and malaise. In more extreme cases, these illnesses can cause systemic damage and organ failure. Some examples of invisible illnesses are diabetes, lupus, fibromyalgia, chronic lyme disease, MS, and arthritis.
For this week’s blog we’ve compiled a list of celebrities who live with an invisible disability.
Selena Gomez
Lupus
Selena was diagnosed with lupus at a young age. She has been battling the disease and its many challenges for years. Selena is very vocal about how it affects her mental health, her kidney transplant, and her chemotherapy treatments.
Nick Jonas
Type 1 Diabetes
Nick was 13 when he was diagnosed with diabetes. It took him a great support system and a lot of time to realize he could still perform while adjusting to his new lifestyle.
Emilia Clarke
Brain Aneurysm
Emilia Clarke suffered three brain aneurysms and has had multiple surgeries to save her life. As a result, she struggles with her language skills, which can be a challenge to her as an actor.
Bella Hadid
Chronic Lyme Disease
When Bella Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, she felt hopeless. She has since learned to balance taking care of herself and her incredibly busy travel schedule for modeling.
Jessie J
Wolf-Parkinson-White-Syndrome
Jessie J suffers from this genetic disability which causes heart problems leading to irregular heartbeats and shortness of breath. She has had a minor stroke, but continues to thrive and live every day to the fullest.
Morgan Freeman
Fibromyalgia
Morgan Freeman was in a terrible car accident that left him with nerve damage and chronic pain he never recovered from. As a result, he lives with fibromyalgia that feels like it is in a constant flaring state.
Selma Blair
Multiple Sclerosis
Selma Blair was diagnosed with MS in 2018 after years of feeling off. She is very open and candid about her struggles with the disease, which effects the brain and central nervous system.
Wendy Williams
Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease is a form of hyperthyroidism that causes irregular periods, eye twitching, and extreme brain fog.
Gina Rodriguez
Hashimoto’s Disease
Hashimoto’s disease is the leading cause of hypothyroidism which can cause massive weight gain, brain fog, and fatigue. Gina spent years ignoring the disease as a form of rebellion and is now finally taking care of herself and is much happier now that she has it under control.
Sarah Hyland
Kidney Dysplasia
Sarah Hyland’s kidneys did not form properly as a fetus, so she has had two kidney transplants in her adult life as a result of the dysfunction and abnormalities in her kidneys.
Venus Williams
Sjogren’s Syndrome
Similar in many ways to lupus, Sjogren’s is a rheumatic autoimmune disease that causes Venus to feel crippling fatigue daily. Somehow, she finds it in herself to get up and get going despite it.
Blog written and researched by JMF Communications Associate, Lauren Maley