Steven W. Bailey from Grey’s Anatomy Opens Up About Living with a Neuromuscular Disorder and Using a Wheelchair
A familiar face for fans of Grey’s Anatomy, Steven W. Bailey has publicly shared the challenges of a five-year battle with his health. The actor, known for his role as bartender Joe on the popular ABC medical drama, revealed his diagnosis of Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome (CMS) on Friday, a neuromuscular disorder that has increasingly necessitated his use of a wheelchair.
In an emotional post on X, Bailey stated, “I would like to share something important with you about my life and my career… I’ve spent years being cautious, private, and quiet about something that has been shaping my life and my work. That time is over.”
Bailey elaborated on the difficulties he has faced, saying, “Out of career caution, diagnostic uncertainty, and being private about such things in general, I have been hiding my battle with this disease for over five years. Time to stop.”
Describing CMS, he explained, “CMS is a genetic disease that disrupts the communication between the brain and the muscle at the ‘nerve/muscle junction’… There are billions of these junctions in a body, and an increasing number of mine seem to be on the blink. Troublesome, little buggers, right? The point is: my muscles aren’t clearly receiving all my brain’s orders to do all the swell things muscles are meant to do. It’s a drag.”
Bailey noted the impact of the condition on his mobility, saying, “The condition makes my limbs tire quicker than they should, which makes them weaker than, well… anticipated,” leading to “issues with walking.”
Despite these challenges, he expressed a degree of optimism: “I am fortunate that I am currently still able to walk the dog around the block, navigate my home, pop into the store for a quick few items, and the like on my feet,” he wrote. “But the truth is, as my disease progresses, I have been using a powered wheelchair more and more to get around.”
Referring to himself as an “ambulatory wheelchair user,” he outlined his routine: “I ambulate some, then I sit, I ‘wheelchair’ about, ambulate, sit, and then, you know, ambulate.”
Bailey acknowledged how his health is altering his professional life, explaining, “Much like walking my dog around the block, or helping at the store, I can still perform on my feet, limitedly. I can ambulate my way through simple ‘walks and talks’ with no problem. I can still rise to my feet to object to the judge, derail a town meeting, or yell at a cop for being a loose cannon. But, practically speaking, moving forward, it’s time for my work, like in my life, to start skewing more wheelchair, if you will.”
Looking ahead, he expressed hope for his future in the industry: “I am hopeful that there is still room for me in this industry that I love. I look forward to performing as characters who live their lives with a chair, creating a more representative world in film and television… Same guy. Same actor. Same artist. Now with wheels.”
