“He’s seen a lot." Selma Blair on the struggle of co-parenting her son while battling MS.

Cruel Intentions and Hell Boy actress, Selma Blair, was diagnosed late last year with multiple sclerosis. The 47-year-old mother of one revealed her diagnosis via her Instagram account.

“I have #multiplesclerosis. I am in an exacerbation… I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken GPS. But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best,” she wrote at the time.

This week, Blair features on the cover of People magazine, opening up about her battle with MS and how it has impacted her ability to be a mother and the relationship with her eight-year-old son, Arthur.

“He’s had to endure a lot; he’s seen a lot,” Blair told People, explaining that her son has witnessed her “fall down stairs or rush to a bathroom if she’s feeling sick.”

Selma Blair speaks out about her MS diagnosis for the first time. Post continues after video.

It is evident viewing Blair’s social media account that her son (whose dad is fashion designer Jason Bleick) is her world, often featuring in her posts. In May, she posted a sweet dedication to her son on Instagram, writing: “This child. #arthursaintbleick. He sees me at every stage.”

And despite believing that he would view his mum as an ‘embarrassment’, she told People that he views her in a completely different way. “Arthur says, ‘Mommy’s not sick. Mommy’s brave,’” Blair said.

“He said, ‘I love when you come to school because you make the kids laugh and you answer all their questions’,” Blair told People, adding that she “doesn’t shy away” from explaining to the kids about why she “walks and talks funny”.

 

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A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jul 24, 2019 at 6:47am PDT

Blair’s openness and honesty about the debilitating condition shows insight into a chronic neurological disease that is unpredictable and ongoing.

Her dedication to her son drives her to keep going and powers her belief that she will get better even when her illness is at its worst. Underneath an image of her lying on a bed holding a photo of her son, Blair wrote:

“I am here. I am not with my son. I am in the place of getting better. Needing to believe in this knowing we will never know. Strange. I count on the spirits of this world more than I ever thought. Thank you. This journey is a realisation about the breaths around me. More than even my own. I need you. I need this boy to see me do things I never thought I could. And I will do my best. It really is gratitude. #arthursaintbleick#jasonbleick my @the_alinker_worldfamily which makes me feel so much hope when we unite to bring these devices to people like me #together. To get us out and moving. Love. In sickness and in health.”

 

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I am here. I am not with my son. I am in the place of getting better. needing to believe in this knowing we will never know. Strange. I count on the spirits of this world more than I ever thought. Thank you. This journey is a realization about the breaths around me. More than even my own. I need you. I need this boy to see me do things I never thought I could. And I will do my best. It really is gratitude. #arthursaintbleick #jasonbleick my @the_alinker_world family which makes me feel so much hope when we unite to bring these devices to people like me #together. To get us out and moving. Love. In sickness and in health.

A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jul 14, 2019 at 5:47am PDT

Blair’s sense of humour is also something that is very apparent within her relationship with her son. Despite the challenge of chronic illness in her life, she still doesn’t take life too seriously.

“We play dodge ball, but I don’t dodge because that could be so dangerous. Maybe in the future for sure, but I don’t move side to side perfectly, and so I get to just hit him and then he throws it back to me, really chivalrously. And then I get to hit him again, and he thinks it’s amazing,” she said.

Even as Blair announced her cover via Instagram this honesty and humour shone through, as did her dedication and close bond with son, Arthur.

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Mom! I have arrived! I am on the cover of @people and the Michigan girl in me is smiling way too broadly. This is such an honor to have this magazine and this thoughtful writer @karajwarner , pay a tribute to chronic illness and the people who pave the way to healing and love. This isn’t about how sick I may seem. This is about me as a mom and friend and a person who is growing every day and I hope some of you feel represented. Thank you. #queenforaday or however long this magazine stays on newsstands. ????. Ps. On newsstands. Go buy so you can read the actual cover cause this country western fan cropped off the other news ????‍♀️

A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jul 24, 2019 at 6:47am PDT

“Mom! I have arrived! I am on the cover of @people and the Michigan girl in me is smiling way too broadly. This is such an honor to have this magazine and this thoughtful writer @karajwarner pay a tribute to chronic illness and the people who pave the way to healing and love. This isn’t about how sick I may seem. This is about me as a mom and friend and a person who is growing every day and I hope some of you feel represented. Thank you. #queenforaday or however long this magazine stays on newsstands.”

Shona Hendley, Mother of Goats, Cats and Humans is a freelance writer from Victoria. An ex secondary school teacher, Shona has a strong interest in education. She is an animal lover and advocate, with a morbid fascination for true crime and horror movies. You can follow her on Instagram @shonamarion.